Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia

In the southern and central Appalachian Mountains, wild American ginseng (panax quinquefolium) was harvested, and it was an essential medicinal plant. A trans-Pacific trade network connected the region to East Asian markets, making it the most prolific supplier of medicinal plants in the United States. Root digging and herb gathering became a way for landless and smallholding families to earn income from the forest commons, but this boom influenced class relations, gender roles, forest use, and outside perceptions of Appalachia. Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia is the first book to explore the unique relationship between the Appalachian region and the global trade in medicinal plants.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 28 May 2022
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky

The harvesting of wild American ginseng (panax quinquefolium), the gnarled, aromatic herb renowned for its therapeutic and healing properties, has a deep and rich history in North America, but nowhere is it more significant than in the southern and central Appalachian Mountains. This region, thanks to a trans-Pacific trade network that connected it to East Asian markets, played a pivotal role in the global exchange of medicinal plants. Ginseng, among several other Appalachian medicinal herbs, became part of intricate international trade networks. As the production of patent medicines and botanical pharmaceutical products surged in the mid- to late-nineteenth century, southern Appalachia emerged as the United States' most prolific supplier of numerous species of medicinal plants. This distinction was attributed to the region's remarkable biodiversity and the persistence of certain common rights that ensured widespread access to the forested mountainsides, regardless of land ownership.

After the Civil War, root digging and herb gathering became crucial means for landless and smallholding families to earn income from the forest commons. This economic activity not only influenced class relations and gender roles but also shaped forest use and external perceptions of Appalachia. It sparked a widespread renegotiation of common rights, which eventually limited access to some plants, including ginseng.

To shed light on this unique relationship between the Appalachian region and the global trade in medicinal plants, historian Luke Manget has written Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia. Through extensive research into the business records of mountain entrepreneurs, country stores, and pharmaceutical companies, Manget uncovers the intricate details of how and why Appalachia became the nation's premier purveyor of botanica. This book expands our understanding of the gathering commons and sheds light on the complex social, economic, and environmental factors that shaped this region's history.

In conclusion, the harvesting of wild American ginseng, along with other medicinal Appalachian plants, has played a significant role in the region's history and culture. The southern and central Appalachian Mountains, thanks to their strategic location and abundant biodiversity, became a hub for international trade in medicinal herbs. Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between the Appalachian region and the global trade in medicinal plants, shedding light on the social, economic, and environmental factors that shaped this region's history.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813183817