An antidote to bigotry and a "perfect primer for readers seeking factual, realistic portrayals of the rural and working-class experience" ( Los Angeles Times).In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America's "forgotten tribe" of white working-class voters. Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics, and eager to consume cheap campaign promises.

"A well-told, richly contextualized investigation of an appalling episode in American history" ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review).Between 1927 and 1979, more than 8,000 people were involuntarily sterilized in five hospitals across the state of Virginia. From this plain and terrible fact springs Elizabeth Catte's Pure America, a sweeping, unsparing history of eugenics in Virginia, and by extension the United States. Virginia's eugenics program was not the mi...

In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America's "forgotten tribe" of white working class voters. Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics, and eager to consume cheap campaign promises. What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia is a frank assessment of America's recent fascination with the people and problems of the region. The book analyzes trends in contemporary writ...

Between 1927 and 1979, more than 8,000 people were involuntarily sterilized in five hospitals across the state of Virginia. From this plain and terrible fact springs Elizabeth Catte's Pure America, a sweeping, unsparing history of eugenics in Virginia, and by extension the United States. Virginia's twentieth-century eugenics program was not the misguided initiative of well-meaning men of the day, writes Catte, with clarity and ferocity. It was a manifestation of white supremacy. I...

“Rural spaces,” writes Elizabeth Catte, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia, “are often thought of as places absent of things, from people of color to modern amenities to radical politics. The truth, as usual, is more complicated.”With activists, historians, and political scientists as guides, Left Elsewhere explores the radical politics of rural America—its past, its priorities, and its moral commitments—that mainstream progressives overlook. Thi...

Drawing on over 60 years' combined experience of history teaching and history curriculum leadership, Carr, Hibbert, Priggs and Richards explore ways to make history memorable, engage students in historical thinking and secure excellent outcomes for all. Their perspective is grounded in history's disciplinary distinctiveness and a vision for its purpose in students' education.The authors of Secondary History in Action articulate practical approaches to history curriculum de...

Karen "Momma K" Gorrell did not consider herself to be an activist. But when those she cared about were wronged, she refused to remain silent. With the economy still reeling from the Great Recession in 2011, Karen's husband and other retirees of the Century Aluminum plant—a pillar of industry in their rural community of Ravenswood—had their healthcare benefits terminated. The United Steelworkers had negotiated for these union members to have a portion of their wages deducted to fund future...