The Paint Creek Mine War started on April 18, 1912 and lasted until July 1913. The conflict was between striking coal miners and coal operators in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The conflict caused around 50 violent deaths and numerous indirect deaths from malnutrition and starvation.
The violence began with a United Mine Workers of America strike in 1912. At the time, there were 96 coal mines in operation in Paint Creek and Cabin Creek and they employed around 7500 miners.
The Paint Creek miners received 2.5 cents left per ton compared to the workers in the surrounding mines. During the strike negotiations, they demanded that their compensation be raised. The first month of the strike was not violent but turned so when officials tried to break the strike with brute force. A Senate resolution in May 1913 led to an investigation of West Virginia mining conditions.