Appalachian culture
Smoky Mountain heritage
Appalachian culture refers to the traditions, customs, and way of life in the Appalachian Mountain region of the eastern United States, stretching from New York to Georgia.
The culture blends Scots-Irish, English, German, and Cherokee influences, producing distinctive music (bluegrass, old-time fiddle), crafts (quilting, woodworking), dialect, and foodways.
Stereotypes of backwardness and poverty have long obscured the region's rich artistic heritage and strong sense of place: Her grandmother taught her the old Appalachian ballads.
The culture emphasizes self-reliance, family ties, and connection to the land.
- balladsNarrative verse set to music
- coal miningUnderground carbon extraction
- shape-note singingNotation using geometric symbols
- cornbreadQuick bread from maize
- pinto beansSpeckled dried legumes
clogging · quilt patterns · heritage tourism · dulcimer · herbal remedies · Blue Ridge Mountains · banjo · neighborliness · family reunions · self-reliance · apple butter · proverbs · company towns · ghost stories · storytelling circles · bluegrass · ramps · front porch
Appalachian culturecoastal culture
Traditions of shoreline communities
California culture · beach culture · Florida culture · Hawaiian culture