24. The Appalachians developed a culture of fierce independence
The remoteness of the region from the rest of the United States, and from its own communities as a result of the mountainous terrain, led to the development of a spirit of self-preservation and independence which remains in all but the largest urban areas. The long-standing exploitation of the region by outsiders, who harvested the lumber and dug the coal leaving behind the damage done, led to a distrust of outsiders. Change is often viewed with suspicion, and accomplished only slowly when it is accomplished at all, the general belief for decades being that if it was good enough before, it remains good enough. In some mountain towns, the days of the company store are remembered wistfully, if not fondly.