"Moonshining as a Fine Art" Summary

The article begins with a discussion of the declining practice, and quality, of moonshine. The authors, interested in moonshining as a tradition of the Appalachians, interview over one hundred persons over a six-month period, and slowly gain their trust in order to gather the material in the article. The author explains that the problem began in Britain with the introduction of the excise tax. Individuals whose living depended on the making of liquor began to rebel against the tax and moved to Ireland, where they quickly learned how to make stills, and began defending them against the government. When these individuals, known as Scotch-Irish, fell out of favor with the British government, they moved to the United States and settled the Appalachians, bringing their skills with them. As one of the only sources...