Harlan, Kentucky“Die like a man, like your

brother did!”

By: Mark Bonardi and David Ocampo

Harlan Overview

• Harlan is located in the southeastern corner of Kentucky, in the stretch of the Appalachian Mountains known as the Cumberland Plateau

• Harlan was founded in 1819 by 8 immigrant families from the northern regions of the British Isles

• Harlan was located in a poor county with a thin population

Harlan Overview Cont.

• First settlers kept pigs and herded sheep on hillsides living on small farms

• Harlan was a strange and remote place unknown by larger societies around the town

• The few people who were know from the town – The Howards and the Turners – were the ones who did not get along

The Howards and the Turners

• The conflict between the families started when both Wix Howard and “Little Bob” Turner each accused each other of cheating in a game of poker

• The dispute ended the next day when Wix Howard shot and killed “Little Bob” Turner

• From there dozens of the members of the Turner family and Howard family along with connected with them were shot and killed as well in many shootouts throughout the town.

Questions while Reading

• Why did only southerners have such an urge to fight one another when they felt insulted?

• A: When these people originally came from they lived with a short tempered attitude where no one messes with them

• Why did the original settlers move to the south or the north?

• A: It was most similar to their homeland, it was were felt belonged.

• Why didn’t certain southerner counties/towns have as much disputes as others?

• A: They were more into the farmer mentality than the brute mentality

Potential Gladwell Answers

• Answer 1: Southerners had such an urge to fight when insulted because in the back country things were taken personal. When someone insulted you, you had to defend your honor.

• Answer 2: It was very similar to the land that they had in their old country so they wanted to replicate their “culture of honor” in the new world.

• Answer 3: They were more into farming than being a herdsman. Farmers were much more cooperative and they had no fear of livelihood being stolen in the night.

Chapter Connections

• Text to self: David and I went to Kentucky for a week. We experienced more of the farmer mentality were we where staying than the herdsman mentality.

• Text to World: Israel and Palestine Conflict. Both are fighting for the same land and instead of peacefully sharing the land they are basically in a war against each other. People dying everyday just for the land.

Chapter Connections Cont.

• Text to Self: David’s dad is from a remote town in Mexico in the mountains in the state of Guerrero. In this town, and many others around it, if you accidentally say or do the wrong thing at a friend or family's house, this can lead to gossip spreading around the town about how you are a terrible person insulting a person's family or manhood. Evidently outlasting you.

• Text to Self: My great Grandma is from Scotland which is around were many of these people were coming from in the chapter. My dad said that my great grandma was one who didn’t let anyone offend or her or tell her what to do.