Prohibition and Moonshine

The common stereotype of moonshiners is one of lawbreakers and profiteers. But Julia Maggard says moonshining was a crucial economic supplement for some families in impoverished regions and that moonshiners supported each other in times of need.

South Carolina saw the statewide prohibition of alcohol in 1915. But not before the state established its own dispensary system more than a decade earlier. In his book The Coming of Southern Prohibition, Michael Lewis tells the story of one South Carolina town at the intersection of race, religion, and alcohol.

Hoping to revitalize the town of Appalachia, Virginia, Tessa McCoy-Hall and Meredith McCool looked to the past. They share the stories they heard while interviewing old-timers from the once-rich mining town.

Best-selling author Adriana Trigiani talks about life growing up in the small Appalachian town of Big Stone Gap—and about her movie, Big Stone Gap, based on her novel of the same name.