"Pray for the dead and fight like Hell for the living"

"the Most Dangerous Woman in America"


I went to a local film festival today and was fortunate to see a documentary about Mother Jones. I was not familiar with her story before -- I sure don't remember her from American History classes. :eyes:

This diminutive lady was a major force in the movement from the 1870's thru the 1920's. One of the more harrowing stories in the documentary today was of the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado. She had inspired the miners to strike, and the "Company" brought in a private army, who ended up shooting down and burning out the men, women, and children who were striking. Afterwards, Mother Jones said, "The miners lost because they had only the constitution. The other side had bayonets. In the end, bayonets always win."

Here's a short bio on her I've found: http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/majones.htm

I've ordered some biographies about her from my local library. Sometimes I think it's good to remind ourselves America has gone thru dark times before, and it's good to learn about Americans who shone a light in those dark corners. I think some of the accommodating Dems in Congress could benefit from a Mother Jones 'tude:

"I'm not a humanitarian, I'm a hell-raiser."
"Whatever your fight, don't be ladylike."

gets its name?

And what a timely and much needed reminder about America's dark times. Thank you for this post.

was a made up name, kinda like Betty Crocker. :blush:

was an organic gardener or something.

and Mother Jones magazine.

Another interesting parallel: One of her most famous activities was a march from Philadelphia to New York to Teddy Roosevelt's home with a group of children to protest child labor. He refused to see her, but public attention was finally drawn to children's plights in the industrial world. In the meantime, she noted how many secret service men had been set to watch "an old woman and an army of children." Her march was in 1903, and Congress finally passed child labor laws in 1938.