The Mine Wars were a series of violent battles between coal miners and coal companies in southern West Virginia from 1912 to 1921. Miners wanted better pay, safer working conditions, and the right to join a union (the United Mine Workers of America).

Major events included the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike, a daytime shootout at Matewan, Battle of the Tug, and the large-scale Battle of Blair Mountain. Labor leaders like "Mother" Jones, Frank Keeney, Bill Blizzard, and Sid Hatfield stood with the miners, while coal companies hired armed guards to stop them.

After years of fighting, the government sent in soldiers to stop the march on Blair Mountain. The union lost power in the region until it returned in the 1930s with the New Deal. Today, the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan helps keep this important history alive.