Mother Jones
Mary Harris Jones, also known is “Mother Jones” was an Irish-American union labor activist. Mary “Mother” Jones was born August 1, 1837 in County Cork, Ireland to Helen Cotter and Richard Harris, however, Mary claimed an unconventional birthdate of May 1, 1830. The Harrises were a family of 7. Mary had four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Her father was forced to flee to North America with her family in 1835 to due to the Irish famine.
Mary lived and grew up in Toronto, Canada. Her father, Richard, worked in railroad construction to support the family. He was working on one of the first Canadian railroads. While living in Canada, Mary trained to become a dressmaker and teacher. She acquired her teaching certificate in Toronto at age 20. The Harrises moved to the United States in Michigan the 1840s. …show more content…
Mary, having received her certificate, landed a job as a teacher at a school in Monroe, Michigan where she taught for 8 months. Mary then moved to Chicago where she found work as a dressmaker in her early 20s. She later moved to Memphis, Tennessee where she met and married her husband, George E. Jones, in 1861. George E. Jones was an ironworker and a devoted unionist. He was a part of the Iron Molders’ Union in Memphis. Mary Harris Jones and George E. Jones had four children together. Six years later, calamity struck; Memphis had been exposed to yellow fever in 1867 which killed hundreds of people. The yellow fever took the lives of Mary’s family; her husband and her four young children. She was all on her own at the age of 37. Devastated, Mary moved back to Chicago and returned to the dressmaking business. She opened her own shop, where she sewed garments for the rich occupants of Chicago. Her shop was under the aegis of some of the wealthiest women in town. As Mary made progress monetarily, she became interested in the union movement. She noticed the imbalance between the lifestyle of the wealthy folk of Chicago and that of the underprivileged strolling the streets. She saw the inequalities of American life. Mary Jones was trailed by another calamity when lost her shop, her home and all of her possessions to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After this most recent misfortune, Jones joined a labor organization called the Knights of Labor, seeking consolation. The members of the organization would arrange strikes against local factory workers. Jones would perform speeches to motivate and inspire members amid strikes. She dedicated herself to reform low wages and cruel working states of laborers. Jones participated in many labor strikes from the late 1870s through the early 1920s, travelling across the country. Made destitute by the Great Fire of 1871, Jones moved from place to place, lacking permanent residence. Throughout the 1870s she travelled to many different strike sites to give speeches and inspire strikers. Jones supported workers of many backgrounds, even African Americans. She was given the nickname “Mother” for she truly cared for the workers and for her motherlike image. This name would stick with her throughout the rest of her life. Mother Jones composed and helped laborers when there were strikes and sometimes held instructive gatherings. In 1877, she helped in the Pittsburgh railroad strike. Mother Jones was one of the leaders at the time. The strike ended in violence, however, when the state militia fired on a crowd of men, women and children. The strike was broken, yet motivated future struggles. The Knights of Labor soon started to fall apart and Mother Jones became associated with United Mine Workers, a labor union best known for representing coal miners. Mother Jones was paid $500 a year as an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America. During her ‘United Mine Workers’ days, in 1901, young female workers in Pennsylvania’s silk mills went on strike and Jones was called to organize the women. She claimed that the young ladies working in the mills were being robbed and demoralized. Jones inspired the workers to strike and they demanded to be paid adult wages. After persistent demands, the mill owners soon agreed to their requests. Despite the fact that Mother Jones was a radicalist, she
Mary Harris Jones, also known is “Mother Jones” was an Irish-American union labor activist. Mary “Mother” Jones was born August 1, 1837 in County Cork, Ireland to Helen Cotter and Richard Harris, however, Mary claimed an unconventional birthdate of May 1, 1830. The Harrises were a family of 7. Mary had four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Her father was forced to flee to North America with her family in 1835 to due to the Irish famine.
Mary lived and grew up in Toronto, Canada. Her father, Richard, worked in railroad construction to support the family. He was working on one of the first Canadian railroads. While living in Canada, Mary trained to become a dressmaker and teacher. She acquired her teaching certificate in Toronto at age 20. The Harrises moved to the United States in Michigan the 1840s. …show more content…
Mary, having received her certificate, landed a job as a teacher at a school in Monroe, Michigan where she taught for 8 months. Mary then moved to Chicago where she found work as a dressmaker in her early 20s. She later moved to Memphis, Tennessee where she met and married her husband, George E. Jones, in 1861. George E. Jones was an ironworker and a devoted unionist. He was a part of the Iron Molders’ Union in Memphis. Mary Harris Jones and George E. Jones had four children together. Six years later, calamity struck; Memphis had been exposed to yellow fever in 1867 which killed hundreds of people. The yellow fever took the lives of Mary’s family; her husband and her four young children. She was all on her own at the age of 37. Devastated, Mary moved back to Chicago and returned to the dressmaking business. She opened her own shop, where she sewed garments for the rich occupants of Chicago. Her shop was under the aegis of some of the wealthiest women in town. As Mary made progress monetarily, she became interested in the union movement. She noticed the imbalance between the lifestyle of the wealthy folk of Chicago and that of the underprivileged strolling the streets. She saw the inequalities of American life. Mary Jones was trailed by another calamity when lost her shop, her home and all of her possessions to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After this most recent misfortune, Jones joined a labor organization called the Knights of Labor, seeking consolation. The members of the organization would arrange strikes against local factory workers. Jones would perform speeches to motivate and inspire members amid strikes. She dedicated herself to reform low wages and cruel working states of laborers. Jones participated in many labor strikes from the late 1870s through the early 1920s, travelling across the country. Made destitute by the Great Fire of 1871, Jones moved from place to place, lacking permanent residence. Throughout the 1870s she travelled to many different strike sites to give speeches and inspire strikers. Jones supported workers of many backgrounds, even African Americans. She was given the nickname “Mother” for she truly cared for the workers and for her motherlike image. This name would stick with her throughout the rest of her life. Mother Jones composed and helped laborers when there were strikes and sometimes held instructive gatherings. In 1877, she helped in the Pittsburgh railroad strike. Mother Jones was one of the leaders at the time. The strike ended in violence, however, when the state militia fired on a crowd of men, women and children. The strike was broken, yet motivated future struggles. The Knights of Labor soon started to fall apart and Mother Jones became associated with United Mine Workers, a labor union best known for representing coal miners. Mother Jones was paid $500 a year as an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America. During her ‘United Mine Workers’ days, in 1901, young female workers in Pennsylvania’s silk mills went on strike and Jones was called to organize the women. She claimed that the young ladies working in the mills were being robbed and demoralized. Jones inspired the workers to strike and they demanded to be paid adult wages. After persistent demands, the mill owners soon agreed to their requests. Despite the fact that Mother Jones was a radicalist, she