Mother Jones

Mother Jones (1860 - 1918)The labor upheaval and the fight for unions in the early part of the 20th century produced many towering figures, both men and women, who advocated both peaceful and violent methods of achieving workers rights. One of the most passionate and powerful spokespersons for justice and equality was a cherubic faced tiny little old lady in Victorian dresses and large frilly hats who was called the most dangerous woman in America.Mary Harris was born in County Cork, Ireland and baptized in 1837. Due to the Great Famine, Mary’s family emigrated first to Canada and then to Michigan where Mary was educated and hoped to be a teacher. In 1861 she married George Jones who was active in the fledgling iron workers union and her life was upended when she lost her husband and four children in the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1867.Moving to Chicago in time for the Great Fire of 1871, Mary saw the plight of the working class and while the city rebuilt Mary started organizing strikes