Mary Harris Jones was born on August 1, 1837, even though Mary claimed she was born on May 1, 1837. Some people believe that she may have said her birth date was May 1 because it is the anniversary of the Haymarket Affair and is also a labor holiday in the United States. Her parents were Richard Harris and Ellen Cotter. Her father was a tenant farmer. She was born in Cork, Ireland. After living in Ireland for a few years, the family immigrated to Monroe, Michigan.Later in Mary’s life she moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she met her husband George Jones. George was a member of the Iron Workers’ Union. The couple married in 1862. Five years later Mary’s life was ripped apart when a yellow fever epidemic came through Tennessee and killed her husband and four children. After her only remaining family died, she moved to Chicago, but was hit by another striking blow: The Great Chicago Fire. Her house that she bought with her remaining money was burned down with all of her meaningful possessions.After these two terrible events Mary became an active part in the labor movement. Mary was an active educator and organizer of strikes throughout the United States, but she was most involved with the United Mine Workers and the Socialistic Party of the United States. With all of the work she did with strikes, Mary quickly became known as the “Most Dangerous Women in the United States. One of the strikes that she is most known for is probably the Children’s Crusade. She organized groups of children that worked in the mines and they marched with signs that said, “We want to go to school and not the mines.” Until her death on November 30, 1930 she never stopped organizing strike on the behalf of children or mine workers.
I think that more people should know about the story of Mary Harris Jones because before I did research for this blog I had never heard of her. I think that people could learn from her bravery and courage. What I admire most about Mary is how she recovered from the death of her family and the burning of her house in Chicago. I also think it is great how she was able to organize strikes so well. She should be a role model to many men and women trying to recover from a bad time. In my opinion the story of Mary Harris Jones is incredible.
Comments