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Mother Jones The Miners' Angel
This program tells the story of a dynamic woman from our national history. Mother (Mary) Jones devoted herself to the cause of labor as a Union organizer. She was a fascinating personality whose life spanned probably the period of greatest change in world history, from 1830 to 1930, which encompassed the industrial revolution. She was a woman of great heart and courage who made a difference in the lives of American workers, particularly those of the coal miners of Pennsylvania, Colorado and West Virginia, who called her Mother and considered her a saint. Interspersed throughout this lecture are union songs and songs of the miners, many of which have choruses for people to sing along with. The songs are set in the context of Mother Jones' life to illustrate a time in our history when workers were virtual slaves to the owners of mines and factories and the government supported big business, showing little compassion or concern for working men and their families. It was a time when women had few rights and little power, yet this tiny, elderly woman could inspire and lead thousands of men to strike and was said by a West Virginia Attorney General to be "the most dangerous woman in America" because of the power she wielded through her dynamic rhetoric. Click on the player below to hear a bit of "Fire in the Hole" ... Mother Jones is an inspirational example of a "survivor" personality who turned personal tragedy into triumph as she made a difference in the lives of those who had few to champion their cause. She was not one of the labor leaders who made the big decisions from the comfort of city Union halls. She was one of the people "in the trenches", inspiring people where the action was actually taking place, who placed her life on the line along with the workers. Mother Jones should be a great inspiration to women past middle age, as most of her work in the labor movement was done after she was 50 years of age, and she was still marching and agitating into her late 90's. This program explores and celebrates a unique and fascinating American woman's life. This program runs one hour. |
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