The role of natural resources in shaping rural mobilization: The case of the State of Jefferson movement in the Klamath Basin

Abstract

This article examines how natural resource conflicts sustain long-term rural mobilization through a case study of the State of Jefferson (SOJ) movement in the Klamath Basin (USA). Drawing on archival research, field observations, and digital ethnography, the study traces four major protest cycles from the mid-1800s to the present. Findings demonstrate that resource-based grievances, rural conservatism, and distrust of governance institutions have repeatedly fueled regional mobilization efforts. Rather than a symbolic myth or a state of mind, the SOJ constitutes a persistent social movement rooted in economic, cultural, and political struggles over land, water, and forest access. This analysis advances understanding of how natural resource contention shapes rural political identity and complicates governance in polarized contexts.