The Battle of Matewan: 100 Years Later (Episode 1) 

Great work. I ll be 60 in a few months and still remember my grandfather come in from work after a shift covered in coal dust. Black lung certainly played into his early death. I had heard all about the company store and the scrit. It was work for the mines, shop at the company store, and live in the company house for many WV mining families. Seems like ancient history and this is stuff that happened in a couple generations.

My great great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Maggard, served a the jury foreman that acquitted Sid Hatfield. I always love hearing stories about the whole ordeal.

Very well done! The WV Mine Wars are a very important part of history for Appalachia, coal mining and union organization. I grew up in an old coal camp which still had old company houses. Great to see these kinds of stories be told and for that way of life to be spotlighted for those unaware of how people lived in these regions back then. Great job! Looking forward to the next episode!

I heard these stories from my Dad during the 1950's. As a kid, I never really understood the true significance of this struggle. My Dad was a UMWA guy but seemed to understand both sides of the conflict. Any way you look at the struggle, it was a dark time for America.

Thanks so much for having me be apart of this project. It turned out great.

This was great! I can't believe I'm a coal miner's daughter and didn't know the whole story behind the coal miner's war in Matewan, WV. Can't wait for the next episode!!!

Please keep up the good work! Wonderful! My grandfather was once a president of the UMWA. So proud of his legacy.

It turned out great. I love seeing videos that tell the history of the place where I grew up.

EXCELLENT! Lot of additional info I wasn't aware of on the subject. Perfect in length - enought to keep interested. ALL union people, no matter what union, should see this to understand what people go thru to get and then keep worker rights.

Really enjoyed this! Learned a lot about this event (admittedly wasn't even aware of it until watching). It kept me very interested throughout, and Bill Richardson is someone I could literally listen to all day with his enthusiasm when talking about all of this! Looking forward to the next one

Very informative thanks. I came here having watched and really enjoyed John Sayle's movie 'Matewan' a few years back and it was great to get some additional historical insight.

Sid Hatfield is a hero to all of Labor.

Loved it, very interesting and informative, I had never heard of this story... you all done great in your presentation , looking forward to the next episode!

I was born in West Virginia. My dad's side all grew up there. In 1980, my dad took us away from there. I grew up in Arkansas but spent summers with my grandparents in their little town in West Virginia. I have fond memories of riding around that town on our bikes with my cousins. The last time I was in West Virginia it was for a funeral. Most of the family I have there is gone. West Virginia is literally a dying state for me.

Awesome video! I am related to some Napiers. My name is Zach Adams, my grandfather Charles mined in Harlan.

Well done, artfully made and skillfully presented.

I am from Matewan...my Great grandmother lived through this stuff...lived in a tent during the mine wars. What is sad is that the mone companies are STILL predatory af.

Wonderful video, thank you so much for making this!!

A very Excellent documentary on the history of the Matewan Massacre. Sid Hatfield fought for the common man who was used and beaten down by the coal companies.

Man I just thought Sid had really bad teeth, I never knew it was fixed in gold because of the black and white photo's. I thought I knew this history pretty darn well but apparently I'm still learning so thanks for that bit of information.

Bullets still embedded in the walls of that corner building. Crazy.

Solidarity forever!!!

This was the time when unions were by and for the working rank & file. And that is why we had progress, and why we won. We need to get back to those days, throw the fat bastards who run all the unions out into the cold. And once again we need to have regular working folks run these unions. Also, Rest in Power Sid Hatfield, the last good cop.

This action along with the Blair Mountain, where the U.S. Army was used to crush a union strike, are the salient reasons for the incorporation of the 2nd Amendment in our Bill of Rights contract. That self-defense is the main reason why certain politicos are working to "infringe" upon that right. Also, coal miners were the main reason for draconian British gun controls; the state likes unarmed people until it has need for them to be armed .... to defend the state in two of its world wars.

Thank you.

Really enjoyed this

There was a movie we had to watch in school (public school in WV in the 90s) I think it was just entitled "Matawan". Wish I could find it again!! I'd want my children to see it- we are from a mining family. And everybody knows WV kids know their State history the best in the Union!!

100th anniversary of the march on Blair is upon us. I was overjoyed to see my great grandfather Fred Mooney in this video. 8:41 that picture of two men standing in front of the U.M.W. of A sign. Fred is on the left with Keeney on the right. PEOPLE STOOD UP! They might of got there ass handed to them at Blair but a message was sent. May god bless my people!

Wow! That was so insightful and inspiring. Paula Jean and "The People's Party" informed me about the Labor uprising in West Virginia. Thankfully Politics has gotten less violent.

They are still struggling.

Good job & congratulations 🎉🎈🎊🍾

Don’t mess with a man with the last name Hatfield

awesome!

Sounds like endintured servatude, or something quite close to it. Corporations taking advantage of employees.

Is there a record of the names of the miners that were killed or arrested?

Michael Parenti brought me here.

Jinky tin... another name for script.

"Two Gun" Sid Hatfield a hero.

I watched another RU-vid doc on Matewan n couldnt follow it. 🥱😴 This had my full attention.