The REALs of a Dream: Mary Harris "Mother" Jones & The Children's Crusades

Born in Cork, Ireland, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was a prominent American labor and community organizer, who helped coordinate major strikes and co-founded the Industrial Workers of the World. After her husband and four children died of yellow fever, she began working as an organizer for the Knights of Labor and the United Mine Workers union. In 1902, she was called "the most dangerous woman in America" for her success in organizing mine workers. In 1903, she grew upset about the lax enforcement of the child labor laws in the Pennsylvania mines and silk mills.

Noticing that many children at the union headquarters had missing fingers and other disabilities, Mother Jones tried to get newspaper publicity. However, most of the mill owners also held stocks in the newspapers. When informed of this, she stated, “Well, I’ve got stock in these little children and I’ll arrange a little publicity.”

Mother Jones tried to see President Roosevelt but was denied. She organized a Children’s March from Philadelphia to the home of the President.  Banners exclaimed, “We want to go to School and not the mines!” Although the President never met with her, the incident brought the issue of child labor to the forefront of the public agenda.