Mary Jones And The American Industrial Revolution

The American industrial revolution of the 1800s was powered by coal. This newly harnessed energy source is what made the industrial innovations, like the fabrication of steel and iron, of the 1800s possible. In the early days of its mining, 1840, only 7,000 men were mining coal in America, but by 1870 the number of miners increased to 186,000. This increase was only the beginning. In 1900 the number of miners had surged to as many as 677,000. With the increase of workers came the increase of tons of coal that was being mined. The coal was used to power the technological innovations that steadily reshaped American culture. Though there were many benefits, the mining of coal came with heavy consequences, especially at the expense of those who …show more content…
Many other organizers came before her, but she soon became the most famous labor organizer. Her involvement in the labor movements allowed for attention to be brought to the social injustices that were occurring in the poverty stricken coalfields. Though Mary Jones made a dramatic impact during her time, the legacy of her life after her death became nothing more than a faded memory. Many only remember her for the words, “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.” Her life has been broken down into random quotes that current labor activists use to rally people together. Yet for over a quarter of a century Mary Jones had center stage. She was able to keep her name in the news with her ability to unite people through her passionate speeches and relentless drive. Mary Jones became this legend known as Mother Jones. The stories of the life of Mother Jones states that she was a little old woman who stood her ground against the gun-toting thugs that coal operators hired to be their personal army and that she showed no fear for her own personal well-being during her countless imprisonments. Being known as a fighter was one of her most prideful things. When she was once introduced to a crowd as the 20th century’s greatest humanitarian, she replied back with, “Get it straight, I’m not a humanitarian, I’m a hell-raiser.” Through her speeches she was capable of a making the working men and women realize that with their own hands and hard work they had created the world they lived in, so because of this by right it did not belong to the wealthy but to them. With her charismatic words and courage she was able to unite the labor families. There are unlimited amounts of information on the life of Mother Jones, but who was she before she took this name? How was the life of Mary Jones and where did she originate