Lesson Title: Hatfield-McCoy Property Line Feud: GPS to the Rescue?

Grade Levels: 7 – 12

Prior Knowledge: Introduction to and use of GPS

Learning Strategies:

1. Use of inquiry* process skills to design a GPS investigation

2. Integration of mathematics, science, literacy, map skills and technology
3. Application of problem-solving skills to resolve a real world question
4. Use cooperative learning (pairs, small group and class) dialogue to enhance learning

*Inquiry-based instruction often uses a 5-E learning cycle (engage, explore, explain, elaborate
and evaluate) and allows students to design and then implement an investigation to answer a
specific question. The following lesson is designed under the premise of being shared with
students in segments based upon need for assistance during their problem-solving attempts.

Engage Phase
(Read the following to students)
Hatfield-McCoy Feud
The Hatfield-McCoy feud (1878 – 1891) is an account of American folklore that has become a
metaphor for bitterly feuding rival parties. It involved two warring families of the West Virginia-
Kentucky backcountry along the Tug Fork River. The McCoys lived mostly on the Kentucky
side of Tug Fork and the Hatfields lived mostly on the West Virginia side. Both families were
part of the first wave of pioneers to settle the Tug Valley. The majority of the Hatfields fought
for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. The majority of the McCoys living in Pike
County Kentucky fought for the Union army. The Hatfields were more affluent than the McCoys
and were well-connected politically.

Feud Begins:

"Most people believe that the Hatfield-McCoy feud began with the death of Asa Harman McCoy
on January 7, 1865." The uncle of Devil Anse Hatfield, Jim Vance, despised Asa Harmon
McCoy because he had joined the Union army during the American Civil War. Harman had
been discharged from the army early because of a broken leg; several nights after he returned
home, he was murdered in a nearby cave.
The second recorded instance of violence in the feud occurred after an 1878 dispute about the
ownership of a hog: Floyd Hatfield had it and Randolph McCoy said it was his. The pig was only
in the fight because some of the Hatfields believed that since the pig was on their land, that
meant it was theirs; some of the McCoys objected saying the "notches" in the pig’s ears were
McCoy marks, and not Hatfield marks. The matter was taken to the local Justice of the Peace,
and the McCoys lost. The individual presiding over the case was Anderson "Preacher Anse"
Hatfield. In June 1880 Staton Hatfield was killed by two McCoy brothers, Sam and Paris, who
were later acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.

Escalation:

The feud escalated after Roseanna McCoy began a romantic relationship with Johnse Hatfield,
leaving her family to live with the Hatfields in West Virginia. Roseanna eventually returned to
the McCoys, but when the couple tried to resume their relationship, Johnse Hatfield was arrested
by the McCoys on outstanding Kentucky bootlegging warrants. He was freed from McCoy
custody only when Roseanna made a desperate midnight ride to alert Devil Anse Hatfield, who
organized a rescue party. The Hatfield party surrounded the McCoys and took Johnse back to
West Virginia before he could be transported to the county seat for justice the next day. Despite
what was seen as a betrayal of her family on his behalf, Johnse thereafter abandoned Roseanna,
marrying instead her cousin Nancy McCoy in 1881.

The escalation continued in 1882 when Ellison Hatfield was killed by three of Roseanna
McCoy's young brothers. The McCoy brothers were murdered in turn as the vendetta escalated.
The escalation reached its peak during the 1888 New Year’s Night Massacre. Several of the
Hatfield gang surrounded the McCoy cabin and opened fire on the sleeping family.

Between 1880 and 1891, the feud claimed more than a dozen members of the two families,
becoming headline news around the country, and compelling the governors of both Kentucky
and West Virginia to call up their state militias to restore order. The Governor of West Virginia
threatened to have his militia invade Kentucky. The Kentucky Governor in response sent his
Adjutant General to Pike County to investigate the situation. In 1888, Wall Hatfield and eight
others were arrested by a posse led by Frank Phillips, and brought to Kentucky to stand trial for
the murder of Alifair McCoy who was killed during the New Years Massacre. Because of issues
of due process and illegal extradition, the United States Supreme Court became involved. The
Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kentucky. Eventually the men were tried in Kentucky and all
were found guilty.

The feud ends:

The families finally agreed to stop the fighting in 1891. The trial of Johnse Hatfield was the last
of the feud trials. It took place in 1901.

In 1979, the two families united for a special week's taping of the popular game show Family
Feud, in which they played for a cash prize and a pig which was kept on stage during the games.
On June 14, 2003, on the initiative of Reo Hatfield, an actual peace treaty was drawn up and
signed in Pikeville by representatives of the two families, even though the feud had ended over a
century before. The idea was symbolic: to show that Americans could bury their differences and
unite in times of crisis.

Tourism

Many tourists each year travel to parts of West Virginia and Kentucky to see the areas and
historic relics which remain from the days of the feud. In 2004 a large project known as the
"Hatfield and McCoy Historic Site Restoration" was completed.

Think-Pair-Share: Have students record their individual

answers in journals to the following questions. Pair with a
partner to share your responses and then share with the class.
Questions:
1. Use a T-Chart to organize your descriptions of what is
and what is not a feud.
2. Describe another example of a feud over possession of
land between two countries or groups of people.
3. What is the meaning of the word metaphor?
In the passage about the Hatfield-McCoy Feud that was
read to you it stated: “The Hatfield-McCoy feud (1878 – 1891) is an
account of American folklore that has become a metaphor for bitterly feuding rival
parties”

4. Can you give another example of a metaphor?

(Read the following to students)

The following narrative is a fictional account of a real event but the names have been changed to
protect the identity of those involved. The identification of this event as a renewal of a Hatfield-
McCoy Feud is also fictional.

Newsflash:

A recent flood may have washed away the peace and ignited the fires of the Hatfield-McCoy
Feud! The Hatfields and McCoys own adjoining farm land which is not separated by a fence
along their North/South property line. Recent flooding destroyed all markers used to establish
the North/South property line between the two families. The families are not seeing eye-to-eye
on where to establish the property line markers. Both families have refused to share in the high
cost of having the property surveyed. Based on the legal description at the county recorder’s
office the families do agree on the location of an identified marker east of the disputed
North/South line. The legal description also identifies the distance from the marker to the
North/South line, but the terrain is not level between the East marker and the unmarked
North/South property line so measuring the distance is not an acceptable solution. Also known
from the legal description are the following: the distance from the identified east marker to
the north/south property line is 20 chains due west and the north/south division between
the properties is a true north/south line.

Can GPS be used to save the peace and prevent another Hatfield-McCoy Feud?

Explore Phase

Specific Question:

Can you describe how and use GPS technology to accurately locate a north/south line from
a given point which is located 20 chains due east? (A chain is a unit of measure-find a
surveyor’s definition of a chain and convert to a unit of measure usable by a GPS unit.)

Students will be working in pairs and each pair will be provided with the following:

GPS unit and 3 field marker flags

Directions for Students:

 1. Based upon prior knowledge of working with GPS units each student will individually
record in his/her journal the list of steps on how to use a GPS unit to locate the
North/South property line.
2. Pair with another student and explain your investigation design.
3. With your partner agree on an investigation design and if revisions in your design were
made, then record the revised design in your journal.

(Read the following to students)

Now that you and your partner have agreed on an investigation design we need to give some
thought to the accuracy of our GPS readings. Accuracy is very important in ending this feud.
Does our GPS unit provide any information on the accuracy of the data? (Class Discussion)

Continued Discussion Questions:

1. How accurately do you think your investigation design will be in determining a specific
distance from a given point?
2. Explain your reasoning.
3. Are there any places outside near our school which are flat and have pre-measured
distances already marked?

Suggestion for Teacher:

Previous discussion may have students suggesting a football field or soccer field. If these
fields are not readily accessible, then an area could be measured to allow students to test their
investigation designs.

Student Pairs Implement Investigation Design:

Based upon the amount of space available it may be necessary to assign a distance smaller than
the 20 chains to mark due west of a given point. The rationale of providing each pair of students
with three marking flags is for the first flag to be placed on the north/south line (20 chains due
west from the given starting point), the second flag would be placed any distance due north of
flag 1 and the third flag would be placed any distance due south of flag 1. This would place
three flags on the north/south property line.
 Explain Phase
The explain segment of the inquiry cycle is integrated throughout the lesson beginning with
student journal entries and discussion times when they are explaining their rationale to questions
and investigation designs. Teacher explanations are also important, but should guide students to
clarify their thinking rather than providing ‘the’ answer.

Elaborate Phase
Following the completion of the investigation, recording student pair data and sharing data from
the class, then each student will individually make journal entries to reflect on their investigation
design and designs used by other student pairs. Reflections may include thoughts on their,
accuracy (similarities or differences of results reported by other student pairs) and future design
modifications or investigations applications. Teacher summary of learning is vital at this point.

Evaluation Phase
Evaluation is on-going throughout the lesson. Journal entry, class discussion, investigation
design during this problem-solving and effective use of the GPS unit will provide teacher with
opportunities to assess the quality of the learning taking place.

Suggestion for Teacher:

This lesson may be enhanced by obtaining a legal description and maps from property near the
school to design and implement this investigation.