Peonage in West Virginia

Slavery in the United States did not end with the Civil War. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries peonage, a form of slavery, was widely practiced in the nation including West Virginian timber camps and coal mines. Laborers were held captive, sometimes through violent means, and forced to work against their will. Surprisingly, many individuals and companies who engaged in this practice did not know that it was illegal. Peonage knew no racial or ethnic boundaries. Some victims were African Americans, but many others were European immigrants, encouraged by the state to work in West Virginia. This led to international incidents when foreign embassies found it necessary to advocate for the legal rights of their nationals and the U.S. government entered the fray. This presentation will examine this history of peonage in West Virginia within the larger context of peonage in America during this period