The early colonists rebelled against what they viewed as unreasonable infringements on their freedom. The institution of slavery which denied African-Americans the right to enjoy basic rights is another obvious example of the imposition of unjust rule. Perhaps not so obvious, however, is the example of a group of individuals who were also stripped of their basic rights by a privileged few. Like the colonists of yesterday and the slaves of the antebellum South, the coal miners of the 1800's and early 1900's increasingly turned to violent revolts in order to achieve equality and freedom over their lives. The very violence with which these groups are often associated was actually the response of years of violent influences from the particular controlling segments of each society. In each of these situations, violence was first introduced as a means of intimidation and control by the powerful class and was subsequently adopted by the subjugated class for use against their oppressors. Therefore, the use of violence by American coal miners in their struggles against wealthy coal company owners was simply another example of the reaction of Americans to tyrannical control. As such, it was not only learned behavior, but was also historically consistent. The participants selected the only means which they had available in order to protect the safety of their families and the protection of their own constitutional rights.