SOCI 461 Midterm
Why didn't the back-to-work movement succeed during the early weeks of this strike?
"Back to work legislation" is a special law that blocks the strike action (or a lockout) from happening or continuing on further. This was unsuccessful because there was nothing that the workers had gained and they refused to go back to work. There had also been nothing immediately forcing them to work.
"Note the summary paragraph at the end of section II (p. 33). This relates directly to the "social structure" part of the title of the article. This material is a good candidate for a mid- term question. Focus on the importance of social structure and the ways in which immigrants changed Canada west in the 1850's.
"In brief, then, the arrival of the famine immigrants had the following consequences for Canada West: the introduction of controls upon overseas immigration; the creation of an Irish Catholic urban proletariat; the development of areas of de facto segregation (racial discrimination by fact) in cities; the accentuation of religious conflict; the introduction of religious considerations into political organization; the differentiation of the Irish population into Irish and Ulster Irish factions; the rapid construction of a network of rail communications; the introduction of a tradition of violence to gain economic, religious, and political ends; and greatly increased crime. These effects were direct and almost immediate."
At the end of the American civil war (1865) how did George Jones's union, the International Iron Molders Union, act to defend the living standards of its members?
"Labour has no protection. [...] The weak are devoured by the strong. All wealth and all power centers in the hands of the few and the many are their victims and their bondsmen"- William Sylvis, union founder (37). He advocated self-help, temperance and Christian free agency as sources of both religious salvation and upward social mobility. Sylvis "insisted that labour not allow capital to take a disproportionate share of wealth, that the producing classes not be reduced to poverty" (37). ¾ of American Journeymen were members of the Union. The union planned a new organization, the National Labour Union, which would unite various trades in one large umbrella organization. The Molders' Union initially took the form of a loose federation of already existing local organizations, which retained almost complete autonomy. Initial dues were set by the organization at $10 per local with an additional $10 per delegate sent to the national convention.
Be prepared to discuss the significance of the quote from Reading Railroad president George Baer found on pp. 84-85.
"The rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for - not by the labour agitators, but by the Christian men to whom God in his infinite wisdom has given control of the property interests of the country, and upon the successful management of which so much depends."
Notice the derision towards Mother Jones in a New York Times story during the Children's Crusade march of 1903 (top of p. 134). Have any contemporary protest leaders been similarly treated in the media?
#Kony2012, PETA, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, MLK's affair, Malcolm X, etc.... These protests happen regularly and have a common pattern.
In what ways were leftist and union activists and organizations repressed during the Red Scare period of 1919-‐1921?
(1919 Winnipeg General Strike) The Red Scare induced violence against strikers, repression of leaders through imprisonment and deportation. Anything apparently connected to the Bolsheviks, or that potentially undermined American Capitalism, was repressed. The Red scare was against labour movement, as well as the broader Left, which were both repressed. The Steel Companies could weather a strike but the workers could not. The scare created social division, for example Strike Breakers were most often racialized or ethnicized and these differences created divisions. There was Radical vs. Reformist - Industrial Unionism vs. Craft Unionist called into question.
Fill in the blank in the following sentence found in this chapter. "Only with singular ambition could an old Irish widow so impress herself on the nation and help build a movement that challenged America's culture of capitalist individualism with..."
...a culture of solidarity for working families..." (294)
Study the two examples of strikes by railway construction workers detailed on pp. 30-31. Notice that these two strikes did not involve any union organization. What caused the strikes? Do you agree with Professor Duncan's characterization of these strikes as "crude and ineffective"?
1857 Toronto Cab and Carter Insurrection: aimed against Jones and company whose agents were said to be unfairly and illegally soliciting passengers at the railway terminus. Independent cab drivers and carters (largely Irish) attacked their opposition. 1855 Buffalo Brantford and Goderich Railway strike: where workers were unpaid for up to 6 months where workers had to then live on credit making their credit become bad. The workers stated they would not let the trains move until their demands were met. The president responded by brining in armed men where laborers were captured and sent to prison. Not crude because the violence came from the other side. It was however law breaking, contentious etc.
The injunction against picketing was a "Taft-Hartley injunction". Do some background research to find out about the Taft-Hartley Act in the United States.
1935 - Wagner Act: guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take collective action including strike if necessary. 1947 - Taft-Hartley Act: federal law that restricts the activities and power of labour unions. Those wanting to use the Wagner or Hartley Act had to sign stating that there were no members supporting Communism. Mine Mill signed the anti-communist affidavit and people were put in jail. Informants could testify if someone was a Communist and people would be jailed for perjury. Ever since this period of time, the rights of unions have been eroded or constrained.
Note that Corbin BC was a "company town." What exactly is a company town? It is important to note that none of the other communities in this regional coalfield society were company towns with the exception of Michel BC.
A company town is a place where the company owns practically all stores and housing, in which the company is the only employer in the town. The company provides infrastructure (housing, stores, transportation, sewage and water) to enable workers to move there and live.
"Zinc Town" was a company town. What are the disadvantages faced by workers who live in a company town.
A company town is a place where the one company owns practically all stores and housing, where the company is the only employer. A company town can be problematic because losing a job or going on strike creates problems when there are no alternatives and no method of fighting against the monopoly. Living in the company town was mandatory for employees and therefore the company owners easily exploited the captive market by charging exorbitant prices for housing, goods, and services.
How did the author, Allen Seager, find evidence that a "KKK" group in the Crowsnest Pass had threatened Krkosky Jr. during the 1932 strike?
Allen Segar found that there were letters addressed to Krkosky by the KKK.
By the middle of the 20th century, why was Mother Jones "all but forgotten" in the United States except in mine country where she "lived on in the folklore"?
Although the legend of Mother Jones lived on in the mine country, elsewhere her memory faded quickly.
During this strike, what tactics did Rockefeller deploy to try and maintain an 'open shop' in his Colorado coalmines?
An open shop (merit shop) is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment. A closed shop is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times in order to remain employed. Unions felt that the policies of open shop would give employers the opportunity to discriminate against union members in employment and would also lead to a steadfast opposition to collective bargaining of any sort. Rockefeller stated that he would lose his entire fortune before he would recognize organized labour. He assembled troops and used violent means as well as persistence in his beliefs.
Note the grounds on which Judge Jackson in West Virginia issued an injunction against the UMW in 1902. Compare what happened in West Virginia at that time to what happened in Toronto in 1872 when George Brown cited similar grounds in an attempt to get an injunction during a printers' strike.
Both incidents involved a strike with a leader being reprimanded. The issue in West Virginia was that the union activity threatened to compromise investor's money. There were injunctions made to prevent this. This was basically making unions illegal, through cease-and-desist acts demanded by the court systems. In Toronto the federal government stepped in and made compulsory investigations of industrial disputes. This issue relates to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. There is protection of people that are property owners.
Gorn mentions the "powerful English workers' movement of the 1830s and 1840s known as Chartism" that "failed to catch hold in Ireland." Do a bit of Internet research to determine whether labour unions were behind this workers' movement and the main demands of the
Chartism is known as a working-class movement for political reform. The working class were drawn to Chartism for a number of reasons: → Disappointment with the 1832 Reform Act: only 700,000 extra people could vote. → The 1833 Factory Act failed to achieve the limit of a ten-hour working day annoying many. → 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act: unemployed men were treated harshly, poverty became a crime, new union workhouses were being built, and trade depression and high unemployment left many believing that Chartism was the only answer. → Trade unions existed but had limited power. For working-class, Chartism appeared more effective. → 1838-1848 were years of high unemployment and left people looking for an answer The People's Charter called for six reforms to make the political system more democratic: 1. A vote for every man twenty-one years of age, of sound mind, and not undergoing punishment for a crime. 2. The Secret Ballot - To protect the elector in the exercise of his vote. 3. No Property Qualification for Members of Parliament. 4. Payment of Members. Enabling anyone to serve a constituency. 5. Equal Constituencies, equal representation for electors. 6. Annual Parliament Elections, presenting the most effectual check to bribery and intimidation. Workingmen's clubs were in place of labour unions, but had little sway. Their goals were to advocate for the workingman. Competitive capitalism often with small manufacturing existed until 1850 (handloom workers), which later turned into Industrial capitalism with large firms (power-loom workers). Chartism is at the boundary between phases.
Why did the demand for coal in the U.S. expand by almost a factor of 10 between 1870 and 1900? (see p. 69).
Coal powered technological changed the coal industry. The industry was not monopolized like oil, but allows for competition therefore motivating companies to become more efficient and faster or better at obtaining coal.
Note Eugene Debs' defense of Mother Jones on pp. 164-165. Are you convinced?
Debs defense of Mother Jones is consistent and unwavering. Debs statement that "socialist leaders would beslime this grand old woman to keep their own power in tact and perpetuate their own machine rule in the party" (165) is an interesting interpretation. The Socialist Party leaders did appear to be attacking Mother Jones personally for her questioning of the party's leadership and focuses, which could be interpreted as the 'besliming' of Mother Jones. Debs defense of Mother Jones is convincing because it has been consistent. The idea that Mother Jones had run a brothel is questionable; she wasn't in favor of women's rights and sexual freedom so it seems contradictory that it would be true but she had been apart of many movements and there is always a possibility that it is true although it more so seems like a character attack on Mother Jones.
How does Esperanza change after she takes on a leadership role in picketing?
Esperanza's leadership in picketing led her to an empowered position. She seemed happier that ever before, she enjoyed the ability to be a part of the movement and make a difference. The most major change would be her desire to stand for human rights on principle and not stand for those with a higher rank to oppress those lower than them. Her stand for equality and rights was inclusionary and did not stand for hypocrisy.
Explain why "thoughts of martyrdom, comparisons with Christ or Joan of Arc, intimations of final days, were all staples of the Mother Jones persona." (167)
For Mother Jones, "martyrdom meant a meaningful end, one that brought order to life's anarchy... [it] meant living on in memory to inspire new assaults by new crusaders. She feared death, of course, but wished for it too, a meaningful death, one filled with absolution." (168) She was inclined to find betrayal in the world, which fed the ideal of martyrdom for Mother Jones because she needed to feel more virtuous than others in her righteousness. Her deep down sadness led her to lose herself in a turbulence of spectacular acts of courage and moral righteousness that courted danger and even death.
This is a final note of skepticism about one part of Gorn's argument at the end of the chapter. Mother Jones maintained that the parents of child laborers involved in a silk strike near Scranton Pennsylvania in 1900-01 tended to say that their children were older than they actually were so that the children would be hired (see p. 139). There is no indication that the statistics on the age structure of child workers in the strike (bottom of p. 139) reported by Gorn have been adjusted to take into account systematic parental overstatement of their children's ages. Indeed I doubt that a historical source exists that would help to estimate the extent of parental overstatement. Therefore I, for one, am not convinced that Mother Jones was exaggerating in a significant way in this example. What do you think?
Gorn is very sympathetic to Mother Jones although acknowledging her tendency to embellish. Are the census records accurate? They might not be if families lie consistently. Langford is not convinced that Mother Jones is lying. She was there and could probably tell the accurate ages of children. Families needed additional income and had no problem putting their children to work.
What happened at Grosse Isle and why is there now a national historic site on this island near Quebec City?
Grosse Isle is where many Irish peasant immigrants went to escape the Great Famine. Canadian authorities acted to relieve the destitute and sick (shelter, food and treatment). Immigrants were taken to the island to quarantine and try to rid them of illness before allowing them into the population. The incoming sick population was not separated from the outgoing healthy population. There is a national historic site because of the mass amount of deaths.
What is their take on Stephen Harper associating himself with Rob and Doug Ford in the final days of the election campaign?
Harper's association with the Fords was a desperate distraction from the real issue of the TPP Trade Deal. Alex had a conspiracy theory that the Conservatives were trying to drive voters to the Liberal Party by associating with the Fords, just so the NDP wouldn't win.
Why did Mother Jones rejoin the UMW in 1911 as an organizer?
Her friend, John P. White, became the new president and she was more comfortable with that central leadership.
Do you think this podcast is an effective way for Local 9346 to communicate with its membership (and any other interested parties)?
I think the podcast is a good method of communicating with membership, but it does have the disadvantage of being one sided and not hearing from the members themselves.
Would a higher level of coercion and violence on the part of the company and the authorities have defeated the workers in this strike? Could these workers have done anything to counteract a higher level of capitalist/state coercion and violence?
If the company would have resorted to violence I think that the workers would have followed suit or used it as a point of leverage to progress the movement. The workers would have had to find ways to police the state and company in oppressing them through coercion and violence.
Note on p. 256 Mother Jones's humorous acknowledgement that business and government spies were monitoring her public speeches.
In her speech, Mother Jones invited spies sent by businesses and government to come to the front saying, "you can't hear anything back there, and I don't want you to miss anything when you repeat it to your bosses." (256)
In 1906, three leaders of the Western Federation of Miners were seized in Colorado and shipped to Idaho. This rendition was illegal. Are you aware of any recent examples of the rendition of people from one jurisdiction where they face no charges to another state where they face questionable charges?
In the Netflix Original show NARCOS, Pablo Escobar feared indictment to the US.
The UMW called a strike in Colorado on 23 September 1913 and the strike lasted until December 1914. (a) What were the UMW's demands? (p. 203) (b) 90% of the coal miners in Colorado went on strike. Why, then, were coal companies like the Rockefeller-‐controlled Colorado Fuel and Iron able to continue to produce high volumes of coal throughout the strike? (c) Set up a time line that goes from August 1913 until December 1914. Above the line record the key events that took place during the Colorado coal miners' strike. Below the line record Mother Jones's involvement in and support activities for the strike.
In the UMW's Colorado strike of 1913, the UMW's demands were for, recognition of the union as a bargaining agent, compensation for digging coal at a ton-rate, 8-hour work day, payment for "dead work," miner election of a checkweighman, right to any store, houses and doctors, and the abolition of the guard system. Essentially there was a mix of political, organizational and economic demands. Mother Jones stated that without the efforts of the miners, the coal had no worth at all. The coal companies continued producing because the labour contractors would recruit strikebreakers to live in the towns that the miners had been kicked out of and they would continue the work. Mexican strikebreakers flooded the boarder as well as potentially from West Virginia enticed using job and salary increases or economic incentives.
Between 1917 and 1919 the regime of industrial voluntarism was temporarily superseded by a regime of wartime industrial regulation. How was this temporary regime of advantage to unions, and specifically to the UMW in West Virginia (see pp. 244-‐250)?
Industrial regulation is broadly defined as imposition of rules by government, backed by the use of penalties that are intended specifically to modify the economic behaviour of individuals and firms in the private sector. In the coalmines, government regulated wages and prices, and banned strikes in major industries but in return protected unions. The UMW took advantage and saw this as an opportunity for union recognition, higher pay, and better conditions. The UMW and Mother Jones used the government's intervention as a tool for bargaining and objecting.
What sort of wage labouring jobs were available to Irish immigrants in Canada West between the 1840s and 1880s? In answering this question, explain what Professor Duncan meant when he stated, "The famine immigrant came in what can be called the proto-industrial phase of economic development."
Jobs available to Irish immigrants included; unskilled labor on the railway, rural agricultural labour jobs, logging, power plants, canal construction and building. Proto-industrialization was a phase in the development of modern industrial economies that preceded, and created conditions for, the establishment of fully industrial societies. Masses of unskilled workers were required to create their own networks of communication, which the industrialization became dependant. The conditions were terrible and would not have been accepted if workers had an alternative.
How does Krkosky Jr.'s place of burial reveal a fundamental line of conflict in this coalfield society?
Joseph Krkosky Jr.'s burial shows the segregation within the movement. The protestant church allowed anyone to be buried as long as they purchased a plot. It also shows the religious parallelism with the political ideologies at the time. The Protestant priest that did not attend was very anti-socialism/anti-communism, (which was also common with Catholicism) which was a common negative perspective against coal workers. He was buried with other dissenting communists - dissenting communists don't identify directly with the communist movement or those that do identify with the principles but they don't want to identify as "a communist."
JOSEPH KRKOSKY JR.
Joseph was a young elected representative part of the working class movement. He was 22 when he was elected and 30 or 35 when he died. He died when something fell on him. He was buried in a Protestant Graveyard even though he was Catholic. His funeral was the largest in stories like his case and his mine as well as other mines closed down for the day. This was major because workers are penalized for missing any workdays. He was not given rights by the Protestants to be buried in the location he was and the Priest didn't even attend the burial. They state that Krkosky probably wouldn't have minded not being buried in a Catholic graveyard because he was not as dedicated to religion as he was to communism/socialism/workers movement.
After the conclusion of the strike, Mackenzie King, who was later to become the most important Canadian prime minister of the first half of the 20th century, was employed as a "labour expert" by John D. Rockefeller Jr. What new tactics did Mackenzie King introduce? Would you characterize Mackenzie King as a friend of the union movement?
King believed that a "pleasing company image, good press, and public relations worked better than force." (220) King urged Rockefeller to seek a position between the union's demands for a closed shop and management's insistence that each employee bargain as an individual agent. His plan set up to mediate grievances between employees and the company. He was mainly concerned about manipulating images (Rockefeller's). King was not a friend of the movement, the movement desired equality of wealth and power and King's tactics for companies to mediate grievances and smooth things over was not an actual gain for unions in terms of substantive progress because King manipulated the appearance of the relationship between companies and miners to make it look like unions were making gains.
If Joseph Krkosky Jr. were alive today, he would be 105 years old. Write down a couple of questions you would ask him about his involvement in the worker movement and labour unions in the Crowsnest Pass, including his service on town council and the school board, from the time he started to work as a miner (1926 or 1927) and 1944.
Krkosky had a short but eventful life. I would ask: Did people question your credibility because of your age? He seemed to prove himself and maintain his leadership position quite well. He came from a family that was well regarded in the union movement as well. How did you get support in the union town? They ran on union slates, everyone that was on the slate got elected. The union movement swept every election - but still interesting about how he personally made sure he won the election. Do you think that the movement was too narrow? What would he think about Stalin? How come he was leaving (to go to Ontario) the Crowsnest Pass even though he was such an important and rooted member?
When was martial law declared in West Virginia and how did this affect the 1912-‐13 strike? (p. 185)
Martial law entailed; No habeas corpus (unlawful imprisonment - must tell you why you are detained,) you could be detained without charges; you didn't have the right to trial in front of a court; prisoners lacked right to legal counsel, and lacked rights against self-incrimination. Martial law was enforced because the violent conflict between the 2 groups. If soldiers found any union miners, they immediately took them and imprisoned them. The jails filled up so quickly that he had to release miners. As it went, miners were arrested, jailed, and released without any sort of trial.
One activity that Mother Jones continued to engage in as she approached her 90th birthday was visiting imprisoned labour leaders like Thomas Mooney (p. 287). What does this tell us about Mother Jones's sense of her loyalties and responsibilities?
Mother Jones continued to visit those in prison; she was working hard at getting people out of prison such as Mooney (labour leader present during a terrorist attack charged with causing it). Mother Jones continued her activism up until her death which displays her loyalty and her assumed responsibility to participating in the worker movement and labour unions as long as possible.
During the 1920s, Mother Jones "vacillated between hope and despair" (p. 265). Besides her own declining energy and attacks of rheumatism, which developments in American society and politics caused her to despair?
Mother Jones despair was not only influenced by her health, but also by her upset that America had slipped into retrograde/depression in the 1920's.
Did Mother Jones agree with labour leaders (like the new president of the UMW, John L. Lewis) who believed that bureaucratization and centralization of power were essential to union successes? According to Elliott Gorn, what was "the fundamental tenet" of Mother Jones's labour philosophy (p. 285)?
Mother Jones disagreed with bureaucratization and centralization of power as being central to success. She stated that citizen-workers were labor's source of strength, that men too concerned with power menaced the union movement. → 239 insult against Lewis → John L. Lewis 1920-1960 UMW President → Progressive Mine Workers of America → Mine Workers Union of Canada → CCF 1932, Farmer Labour Party 1920's
Why was Mother Jones critical of the final settlement of the 1902 anthracite strike?
Mother Jones felt that workers must depend on no one but themselves. Only by organizing and demonstrating their strength - withholding their labour if necessary and creating shortages - would they receive fair treatment. She questioned the legitimacy of a system that allowed few individuals to own and control the world's wealth. Mother Jones saw that only worker power moved capitalists. Her ultimate goal was worker control of the industry.
Note the picture of Mother Jones, Connect this to Elliott Gorn's assertion "Perhaps it is best to think of Mother Jones as a character performed by Mary Jones." How did the Mother Jones character free Mary Jones to undertake her political work as a "hell- raiser"?
Mother Jones freed Mary Jones because "most women in the early 20th century were expected to lead quiet, homebound lives for their families; few women found their way onto the public stage. Ironically, by making herself into the symbolic mother of the downtrodden, Mary Jones was able to go wherever she pleased and speak out on any issue that moved her. She defied social conventions and shattered the limits that confined her by embracing the very role that restricted most women." (5) Her public role influenced 1st wave feminism (late 1800's - 1920's). She defied social conventions by embodying them, on the surface she appears to be taking on a role that people are comfortable with, but then she uses the role in a very oppositional way. Women were not supposed to be rebellious or confront men etc., but Mother Jones did this all while appearing as a harmless little old women. Mary Jones had a persona as Mother Jones, which she lived out for most of her lifetime.
What does Gorn mean when he writes, "Mother Jones's organizing in West Virginia [1900-1902] was marked by broad inclusiveness" (p. 94).
Mother Jones included everyone in her union organization. She gave roles to mothers and wives not just union or coal workers. She was a supporter of young and old, white and black (while still discriminating against Chinese) supporting the presence of all individuals and praising their attendance. She had a motto of solidarity fighting for everyone to unite against the oppressors. She insisted on unity. There had recently become more African Americans. She was fighting back against the currently prevalent suppression of African Americans (recent slave liberation).
A West Virginia miner wrote, "The miners loved, worshipped, and adored [Mother Jones]" (p. 181). Why?
Mother Jones inspired the workers, she knows no fear and is at home in jail as much as in any other platform, she was enthusiastic, critical, cried with them because of their abuse, she knew the families sorrows, bore their burdens, shared their hopes, and was as tough as steal.
The historic West Virginia coal strike of 1912-‐13 began with coal miners in the Paint Valley. What was Mother Jones's past connection to these miners? What were the key issues in the strike (jump ahead to p. 186 for a list of three key issues)?
Mother Jones knew these miners from being in West Virginia Previously. The 3 key issues of the West Virginia coal strike were: the right to organize, union recognition, and the abolition of the guard system.
Note the 1894 march of unemployed workers to Washington that was initiated by Jacob Coxey. "Coxey's Army" was one of the historical precedents for the "On-to-Ottawa" trek in Canada in 1935 (which likewise occurred in the midst of a significant economic depression). The story at the top of p. 63 indicates that Mary Jones was already a gifted organizer, orator and 'hell raiser'. One wonders how she developed these skills and political consciousness in the preceding years. Any guesses based upon your knowledge of her life up until 1887?
Mother Jones life took place during different places, with many different economic fluctuations. Mother witnessed Irish suffering in her early years exposing her to the Irish famine and need to come to North America. She witnessed economic changes in both Canada and the US later on. Mary worked her way up as a woman and as a teacher allowing for the most possible exposure to economic issues. Her husband's job and his labour involvement allowed her to see the pro's and con's of unions and their functions. She witnessed grave inequality across many lines of intersectionality, sex, SES, race, etc. She lived through depressions and strikes as well therefore seeing all kinds of rebelling.
The final two pages (pp. 302-303) of Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America include a number of powerful, concluding thoughts. List, and be prepared to briefly discuss, the main conclusions offered by Elliott Gorn on these pages.
Mother Jones main conclusions - courage, commitment, solidarity of workers and the community of labour became a culture and way of life, advocated for the working-class, evoked drama, gave hope and aspirations for change, embraced democratic citizenship, matched every appearance of a mother yet subverted stereotypes by speaking on economics and politics, she was in the fight as much as those she organized, she gained publicity before public relations existed, she reshaped 19th century ideological tools (separate spheres, motherhood, republicanism...) into 20th century battles, her experiences gave her insight of working families, she spoke for the poor as one of them not just about them, and finally, hers was a voice you weren't supposed to hear but by breaking the silence and with her message, she renewed America's democratic promise.
What danger contained in the Mother Jones persona was demonstrated in the days after her death (pp. 292-95)?
Mother Jones persona as an old mother led people to speak kindly of her. She seemed like just another charitable old woman, not the fiery organizer who led angry workers in their quest for justice. Her truth of being an angry matriarch of laboring families was hid behind her façade of a sweet grandmother.
For Mother Jones, what was the significance of Fannie Sellins's death during the Steel Strike of 1919?
Mother Jones saw the death of Sellins as a glimpse of her own mortality. She said things like "whenever I look at the picture of her I wonder it's not me lying on the ground." (261) It gave rose to Mother Jones' fear that by dying a death from illness instead of heroic action she would be easily ad quickly forgotten.
Mother Jones was a professed agnostic (p. 123) and yet working people who came in contact with her often treated her like a religious savior, placing her picture on their walls (p. 118), weeping during her speeches (p. 121) and even proclaiming her as the second coming of Jesus Christ (p. 122). List the factors that enabled Mother Jones to have such a profound impact on so many of the working people she set out to organize.
Mother Jones spoke like a saint, she told stories of herself comparable to religious parables. She was self-sacrificing for the cause she was fighting for which is also characteristic of religious figures. She was the voice of the oppressed and sought to fight for the people to create change, which also has a religious connotation. She commonly alluded to religious interests and was assisted by churches and their funds. She used her purity as power. Even her name, Mother Mary, is symbolically religious. She adopts these approaches consciously in efforts to promote her cause. She was still very much a "hell-raiser" and related well to the working class. In addition, her involvement and organization of genders allowed everyone to be a participant being a broad inclusion of everyone.
What new do we learn about Mother Jones through reading about her efforts between 1907 and 1910 to support the four Partido Liberal Mexicano leaders imprisoned in the United States?
Mother Jones support for the Mexicano leaders imprisoned in the US shows Mother Jones inclusionary practices and her continual commitment to the cause. She stated, "the Mexican rebels fought for the same cause as the American unionists and socialists" (158). Once they were released from prison Madero established the right to unionize in Mexico. The Magónistas and Magón refused to join Madero's less radical but still serious reform. Mother Jones tried to convince them to leave behind their desire for military raids and radical movement, and when she was not successful stated that Magón and his followers were "unreasonable fanatics, with no logic in their arguments," furthermore, She "dismissed Magón as an ideologue who ignored a real opportunity for radical change" (161). This once again reinforces Mother Jones' distaste for those seeking ideological purity.
Comment on the following statement: Mother Jones both upheld and overturned the gender conventions of the early 20th century.
Mother Jones was contradictory in her gender conventions. She stated many times that her focus was on the workers movement of the men working, whom she referred to as "her boys," and that she was not committed to feminist causes like access to contraception, or women in the workplace. However, she herself was a leader of the movement and did include women in her methods. She used the gender convention of women in the private sphere essentially as a foundation for her persona as Mother Jones, to make changes in the public sphere that was typically male dominated.
Why did Mother Jones think that miners in Northern Colorado should refuse to end their strike in late November 1903 even though their employer, the Northern Coal and Coke Company, had made them "a generous contract" offer?
Mother Jones was fighting for not just generous contracts. She was further focused on a change in employer-worker system where the workers would have control and not be oppressed by capitalism. She didn't want there to be separation between the North and South and desired them to be united in their fight against employers. The workers went behind her back and accepted the offer, which as Mother predicted was a step backwards in the grand scheme of unionization. Settling with only one group of people creates a dichotomy between cultural groups as well, which was a strategy of the employers. Mother was looking at the survival of the organization but more so the success of the goal of wanting to build unity of the working class with economic democracy.
How was Mother Jones's opposition to child labour different from that of Progressive movement reformers?
Mother Jones was much more radical with improvisation, publicity and mass attention. The progressives argued that children should to be protected because they are in a valuable stage of life. Mother arguably exploited children by using them to further her publicity. She takes a socialist approach and the progressives are much more moderate.
Why was Mother Jones released from detention by the Colorado state militia on 15 March 1914 and again on 16 April 1914?
Mother Jones was released (both times) under Habeas Corpus, because at no time was she actually charged with a crime.
What was Mother Jones's role in the founding of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1905? How did her approach to workers' class struggles, and specifically strikes, differ from that of the IWW leaders?
Mother Jones was the only woman and founding mother. Mother Jones was mistrustful of the IWW's romanticism and their affinity for violence. She was connected to the group but it never became a central part of her life. She fought to win where they just wanted to rebel. She was more strategic and wanted the strikes to have purpose.
On p. 176 Gorn states, "Above all, Mother Jones's speeches gave working people faith in themselves." But did she undermine this message by going overboard with the Biblical cadences and references and saintly persona (see p. 180), thereby causing working people to have more faith in "Mother" than in themselves?
Mother Jones was very committed to worker democracy. She set certain conditions for her boys similar to a religious figure, allowing only some agency. Her persona was further reaching and had greater influence than if she didn't use her persona. Is her religious connotation to far in the sense that it will only last as long as she's there? She doesn't create the conflicts but she elevates the level of involvement from participants.
Mother Jones's involvement in the miners' struggle in Southern West Virginia in the summer of 1921 was almost the death of her. Why?
Mother Jones, in one of her speeches, claimed to have received a telegram from the President telling her to instruct the strikers to cease fighting to avoid bloodshed, which she did instruct workers to do. She was challenged on her claim and proved to be a liar when Mooney and Keeney sought to find the alleged telegram. She stated that their betrayal almost killed her.
We know that by 1900 (age of 63), Mary Jones "had disappeared into her new persona" (p. 58). We also know that Mary Jones started living "on the road" no later than 1894 (age of 57) and stayed living on the road, as a union and political organizer, until she was well into her 80s. It's an incredible story of commitment to a cause. Can you think of any other figures in human history that chose a parallel course of asceticism and service to humanity?
Mother Teresa's humanitarian work is extensive and legendary as she founded and worked for the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. Today, the Missionaries of Charity numbers 600, reaches over 133 countries, and cares for refugees, sick and orphaned children, the aged, AIDS victims and the mentally ill, among others.
Why did Ramon Quintero disapprove of the political involvement of his wife, Esperanza Quintero, in the sanitation issue?
Ramon didn't want to take care of the children; he also thought political involvement by his wife was dangerous and that she should have been supporting him and his battles not working on the front lines. It is also implied that he doesn't identify with her issues and thinks that there are bigger issues that should be solved first because he doesn't experience her issues only his own. He was more focused on occupational health and safety. He was a very traditional example of patriarchy. It appeared that he thinks he's more oppressed then her. There is a hint of the issue of the Public vs. Private realms, and the idea that you oppress somebody else if you yourself are oppressed.
This film was made during the height of the Cold War when anti-communism was rampant in many parts of American society. Is it realistic to believe that a worker like Ramon Quintero would completely ignore the company's warning that the "Reds" will sell the strikers down the river? Who in this movie represent the "Reds"?
Ramon has a distrust of Barnes, he didn't seem to trust anyone working for the company. Realistically he has no reason that he should trust them. He doesn't trust Barnes because he's Anglo (he also doesn't trust women). In this movie the "Reds" are represented by; Barnes and his wife (union leaders) and potentially the union meeting leader and his wife (Charlie Bidel).
Note on p. 65 Mary Jones's commitment to workers' democratic participation as a basis for creating "a just world." In addition, note on p. 68 her apparent capacity to discuss Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Thomas Paine with Julius Wayland, editor of Appeal to Reason. It is therefore clear that, prior to becoming Mother Jones, Mary Jones had a deep, intellectual commitment to workers' rights and socialism, and was a friend of a some of the most prominent socialists in America (like Wayland and Eugene Debs).
She developed ideological perspectives and was well educated and used this as fuel to her fire.
Why did Mother Jones resign as a UMW organizer in early 1905 at the age of 67? What was her legacy as an organizer of coal miners between 1897 and 1904?
She resigned because there was conflict between her and Mitchell. She was also offered a job as a lecturer giving 4-5 speeches per week. She was also exhausted and getting older. She was regarded as the most famous and effective organizer. She was deemed successful in gaining momentum to the organization with 300,000 members becoming the largest union in North America. Mother Jones was a purist and believed that you should be committed to the cause before the organization. Her legacy is the legend even more so than the actual accomplishments.
What new do we learn about Mother Jones from the interviews she gave in NYC in June 1913, shortly after being released by the Governor of West Virginia.
She spoke for the first time publicly about her family dying from yellow fever. She made the explicit tie between her family dying and her desire to help people, more specifically how watching her family die created her need to help people. She made the analogy about the "search for the mosquito." She connected the yellow fever killing her family, to capitalism and industrial ills. She calls to find the mosquito causing these industrial ills. She believes inequality can be conquered.
Why exactly was Mother Jones depicted as "the most dangerous woman in America"?
She was stated as the most dangerous woman in America because Judge Jackson claimed that she created a climate that allowed for and perpetuated violence and endangerment of workers, which he stated should be protected. Her influence over miners and workers was the main reason. Her ability to get people in a crowd on a particular side was dangerous. The movement of a grievance towards an action is what appeared threatening to those against her.
Which political party are Alex and Troy supporting? What analysis do they give of the other two major parties?
Steel Megaphone hosts support the NDP party. They refer to conservative and liberal parties as a 2-headed monster and as the Left and Right of a Corporate Zombie Monster.
Does the CBC journalist's description of Blairmore, circa 1943 (p. 13), change your view of this town?
The CBC description of Blairmore states that it does not look like a coal town and that there are only minor things that need tweaking and that the union slate runs the town. It concludes by saying that the workers that can run the town/mine so well but that the owners won't let them. The companies did not want to share decision making with the workers, so they didn't call the meeting; they just set it up and never followed through.
Notice the type of socialist community that in 1897 "Social Democracy for America" discussed establishing in the state of Washington. Do a bit of Internet research to determine how a "cooperative commonwealth" would be different from a capitalist society.
The Co-operative Commonwealth was defined as a "community freed from the domination of irresponsible financial and economic power in which all social means of production and distribution, including land, are socially owned and controlled either by voluntarily organized groups of producers and consumers or[...] by public corporations responsible to the people's elected representatives." This promotes universal cooperation for the common good and a more even playing field. Capitalist society contrasts this because the main characteristics are about freedom without government intervention no matter what kind of inequality it creates.
A Durkheimian analysis of the Irish famine immigrants' participation in violent religious conflicts, involvement in labour strikes and high rate of incarceration would argue that the background cause was anomie growing out of the circumstances of their trans-Atlantic immigrant experiences. Does Professor Duncan agree? Why or why not?
The Irish did not experience anomie; it is Duncan's entire argument. The social patterns held by the Irish were recreated in Canada. Duncan begins this piece by stating that "the break in continuity between life in the old world and life in the new" statistically increased "suicide and mental disorder, separation and divorce, crime and delinquency among immigrants and the children of immigrants and explained their high incidence in terms of personal and social disorganization, cultural conflict, or alienation resulting from the contrast between the stable, tight-knit peasant community." Duncan disagrees that the Irish experienced anomie especially with regard to violent conflicts, strikes, and incarceration (more specifically in the "violent" trait of the Irish tradition)
Why did peasants in Ireland in the late 1700s and early 1800s resort to "rough justice" rather than pursue their grievances through either (a) the judicial process, or (b) the electoral system?
The Irish immigrants used "rough justice" instead of the judicial process or the electoral system because they were largely unaware of their legal rights. Their lack of success in striking may have persuaded them to take a more physical approach. "Rioting to secure a monopoly of employment, or better working conditions, or political recognition, or religious liberty as popularly construed can also be explained by reference to Irish tradition and social organization" ... "The violence, characteristic of the famine immigrants themselves and directed at others, indicated not massive social disorganization but the persistence of a social order." Violence was essentially the only effective means known to the Irish.
Why did the Irish famine immigrants become "a nearly defenceless and easily exploited supply of unskilled labour" in Canada West in the 1850s?
The Irish immigrants were defenceless because they arrived in Canada diseased and destitute. The structure of Canadian society included a chronic lack of potato farm labour, which was the main skill of Irish peasants. The immigrants were placed in agricultural employment for which they were not trained. The colonies receiving the immigrants lacked the resources to employ them.
What is his solution to the question of why the Irish didn't end up farming and instead stayed in cities? And why did this continue long term?
The Irish were not wanted on farms due to their poor reputation consisting of an apparent violent nature as well as being diseased. The Irish did not like the solitary nature. The Irish wanted as little change as possible from their traditional Irish roots, which they maintained in cities. The secret societies and the rough justice was a pattern of what existed in Ireland and was brought to Canada. As to the electoral process, only the rich (property owners) were able to vote.
Why were the strikers living in tents in makeshift towns like Ludlow?
The Ludlow Massacre was an attack by the Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel and Iron Company camp guards on the tent colony of striking coal miners and their families in 1914. 2-dozen people were said to have died including women, miners, and children. The deaths happened after a daylong fight between militia and camp guards against striking workers. Those who went on strike were promptly evicted from their company homes, and they moved to tent villages prepared by the UMWA. The tents were built on wood platforms and furnished with cast iron stoves on land leased by the union in preparation for a strike.
On what terms was the 1912-‐13 officially strike settled? What extra concessions did the miners in the Paint and Cabin Creek Valleys win by engaging in wildcat strikes in June of 1913?
The West Virginia Coal wars were settled with the miners demanding; 9 hour work day, right to select their own checkweighman, semi-monthly payment, and no blacklisting of miners. These economic demands were met, but the request for union recognition was denied, instead got arbitration. Overall it was a successful strike. Militants and radicals did not like the settlement; Mother Jones was content with the settlement as an outcome of the strike.
List the ways that underground coal miners could die in the mine (pp. 3-4). Do you think that the dangerous working environment made these workers more likely than other workers to join, participate in and strongly identify with their union? Why?
The coal miners could die by explosion, methane gas, fire, asphyxiation, falling rocks, hauling coal, cave-ins, and black lung. The danger of the job potentially could have elevated the workers urgency for change which might therefore motivate them more strongly to participate and identify with their union.
Why was Joseph Krkosky Jr. still working at the Greenhill Mine in Blairmore in 1944 even though he had made plans in 1943 to quit working as a coal miner and move to Ontario to take up a job at an aircraft-manufacturing factory?
The colliers were frozen to their jobs because of the mandarins in Ottawa. The coal miners became indispensible to the employers and the state. The workers decided that there ought to be a concession and threatened a walkout. The government initially would not compromise, but found that it was politically impossible to dismiss the concession as the work of the "reds." The CBC shout out quoted as saying that only a few things needed to be fixed up and that if they were there would be not strikes, but in reality nothing was fixed until the walkout was followed through. This battle was why Krkosky stayed; it was his last fight.
Explain the context and significance of the following quote: "Well they're like children in many ways. Sometimes you have to humor them. Sometimes spank them. And sometimes you have to take their food away."
The comparison to children shows that the sense of superiority is evident. It also displays the idea that those that think their superior (Administration) try to play them (the Workers) in certain ways at certain times.
In your estimation, how likely is it that Mother Jones worked as a brothel keeper, and perhaps even a prostitute, for a period of time between 1871 and 1894? What are the key reasons for your judgment?
The evidence is fairly slender but Gorn argues that it shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. She had a tendency to embellish or be melodramatic but at the same time she also may not have wanted to speak out on the accusation. If there were any truth to this there would have been more testimony.
What major lesson does the film attempt to impart to the working class?
The film shows the Owner's effort to derail the workers strike by mass eviction and worker oppression, which received united resistance from the men and women of the mining region. The clear ending is that the strikers had won. The film offers a valuable historical truth to help viewers better appreciate just how the various battles across racial segregation, class inequality, and gender stereotypes were enmeshed in the politics of the cold war in communities both small and large all over the US.
What philosophy of unionism did the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers representative, Barnes, express when a mine official asked him to get the workers to start working again after the accident?
The foreman said that he would handle communicating when there are people around explosions to ensure safety, but this it resulted in a worker being blasted because nobody knew he was there. When the mine official asked Barnes to get the workers back to work after the accident Barnes then said, "they don't work for me, I work for them". He is stating that he is there to follow the direction of the union. The Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers was previously the Western Federation of Miners. It is an Industrial union, with a tendency to want to organize all the workers. It went into 2 branches, Industrial Workers of the World and Mine Mill and Smelter Workers. Barnes was a Leftist and apart of Mine Mill.
Can you guess why there are so many jokes about doing a "piss test"?
The jokes about a urine drug test center around a few things, Rob Ford and his well-known drug use, and the idea that because Justin Trudeau is in favour of not only decriminalization, but also legalization of marijuana, that he must smoke it himself.
Ramon is presented as having a very good understanding of racism and class oppression, but a weak understanding of gender inequalities and the effects of those inequalities on Esperanza's well being. Is this a believable juxtaposition of knowledge and ignorance?
The juxtaposition of Ramon's knowledge displays a reality of intersectionality. It is an issue of him not experiencing the disadvantage of gender and only experiencing class and race oppression.
According to Allan Chambers, what is "the legacy of the Crowsnest"? (p. 3; see also p. 21)
The legacy of the Crowsnest Pass was that behind the radical struggles of the workers, the Crowsnest miners insisted on the basic dignity of their work and the human strength at the heart of their communities. The shared sense of purpose and social justice of the miners pioneering the negotiation of benefits lives on.
Concerning the strike by steelworkers in 1919: (a) What were the strikers' demands? (b) Why did the strike end in defeat?
The miners in Pennsylvania went on strike to demand that local officials allow union meetings and collective bargaining. With no progress, the steelworkers were forced to carry out their strike threat; they shut down half the steel industry. The steel companies took eager advantage of the change in the political climate (Red Scare) and claimed that communists and revolutionaries were masterminding the steelworker strike. The steel companies played on nativist fears by noting that a large number of steelworkers were immigrants. Public opinion quickly turned against the striking workers.
How did "gas and water" socialists differ from the other strands of the socialist movement in the early 1900s? Are there any remnants of "gas and water" socialism in Alberta?
The more Conservative "gas and water" socialists advocated little more then public ownership of municipal utilities. They just wanted one sector publicly owned. The government should regulate prices to control monopolies on services that are required. Enmax - hybrid model, private company run by the city. Water, sewer, garbage, gas etc.
In this chapter there are two tantalizing details about Joseph Krkosky's personal political orientation: his nickname "Merciful Joe" (p. 9) and the fact, according to Seager, that he "turned the school board into a model of participatory democracy" (p. 11). What kind of a 'Red' was Krkosky Jr.?
The name "Merciful Joe," and the way Krkosky turned the school board into a participatory democracy suggests that he is on the more participatory and inclusive side of the communist movement. He probably wouldn't still be a communist once more came out about the radical and exclusionary practices.
There is a parody advertisement near the beginning of the podcast. What is the main point of the parody?
The parody advertisement is about "BS Safety Consultants." They make a joke about how companies and owners would rather save money and make a safer work environment by educating workers on how to be safe in poor conditions as opposed to physically changing things to actually make things safer for workers.
How would you describe the political consciousness of Alex and Troy? Would Mother Jones be comfortable with their political perspectives?
The political consciousness of the Steel Megaphone hosts is well informed and relevant to their context. Mother Jones might desire more action to go with their desire for change and might advocate more radical methods.
Which economic issue lay behind the seemingly religious conflict between gangs of Protestant and Catholic workers at the site of the digging of the Welland Canada and on different railway construction projects in Canada West?
The seemingly religious conflict was rooted in political/economic nationalism and working conditions. Contention existed regarding working conditions, poor wages, and partisan enforcement of the law. The Catholics were usually from the Irish Immigrant population, where the Protestants were usually from Upper Canada and wanted to distinguish themselves from this poorly thought of group. There was fear that Protestants might use their material means as a wedge for evangelization. The Welland Canada Canal fight was based on an oversupply of labour where those who got the jobs could fight to keep them by attacking those who want your job physically or by working out a deal to not compete and to cooperate and create a united front. The workers lack leverage based on the oversupply of workers therefore could be exploited and pitted against each other.
What is the significance of a worker's comment, as reported by his wife, "What have you been doing all day, reading funny papers?"
The significance of the men mocking their wives for being home all day is that the men don't appreciate the work that their wives do until they have to do it themselves. There is a very evident parallel where the men are to their wives what the company is to the men.
The federal or Colorado state governments could have forced an end to the strike by legislating a process of compulsory binding arbitration. Would this sort of legislation have been consistent with the regime of industrial voluntarism?
The term "industrial voluntarism" defines situations in which unions and employers initiate, develop, and enforce agreements without state assistance or compulsion. If the Colorado State government forced the strike to end, that legislation would not comply with the principle of industrial voluntarism. The essence of the workers movement for Mother Jones is that the miners were supposed to be taking what they deserve, demanding it themselves, and bringing about change through their own means; government intervention in this circumstance, would undermine the union movement.
Make a note of who the film makers include in the category of "Americans" during the introduction to the film. How does this compare with who the mine official includes in the category during an early scene concerned with whether miners should work alone or with a partner. What does this suggest about the link between nationalism and racism in American society at that time?
There are 2 different definitions of Americans that are shown. In the introduction, there's a big emphasis stating that the people being featured are American's - Free American's (Mexico) and Brave Americans. There was also a moment when they said, "the owners tell us that we should go back where we came from but we came from here! If we told the Anglo's to go back where they came from they would all be gone." In the contrasting scene, it was after the accident and the company man told everyone to go back to work and the union man asked, "who are you going to find to do the work" and the company man said "American's". Based on these definitions of Americans, it is very evident that Canadian born visible minorities experienced more discrimination than Caucasian Foreign Born Europeans. This implies that race was considered to be a threat to American nationalism.
Explain the context and significance of the following quotes: "We can't go on this way and we can't go back to the old way either." "Do you think you can have dignity only if I have none?"
These quotes are from Esperanza speaking to her husband. When she states that they cannot go on the way they are and that they cant go back to the old way either it is important in highlighting how now that they have opened the conversation about equality and rights and inclusion because of the women's participation in the union movement, they cannot move backwards and revoke the progress that they have made. Esperanza has been enlightened and refuses to be oppressed once again now that he has tasted reform and liberation. Her statement about Ramon thinking he can have dignity only if she has none is interesting because it display's the parallel that the men are to their wives what the company is to the men - oppressive.
Who was Thomas J. Mooney and what was Mother Jones's connection to him?
Thomas J. Mooney was an ironworker and union organizer from San Francisco. He had been arrested when a bomb exploded in a parade. He requested the support of Mother Jones in overturning his arrest. From then on, she spoke on his behalf wherever she went.
The American Federation of Labour (AFL) in the United States and the Trades and Labour Congress (TLC) in Canada were largely federations of craft unions. However there was one industrial union affiliated with the AFL at the beginning of the 20th century. What was its name?
UMW - United Mine Workers of America. Remained dominant until oil became dominant over coal.
One of the few bits of Marxian political analysis which was inserted into the film's script concerned the "two types of slavery" (delivered by Ramon's miner neighbor while they hung up clothes on the clothes line). What are the "two types of slavery"? Does this political analysis detract from the artistic value of the movie?
Wage slavery: Wage slavery refers to a situation where a person's livelihood depends on wages or a salary, especially when the dependence is total and immediate. It is a pejorative term used to draw an analogy between slavery and wage labour by focusing on similarities between owning and renting a person. Domestic Slavery: domestic slavery is when a person, usually a woman, has few rights, limited opportunity, and minimal power and can therefore be made to do domestic work pertaining to the household, household affairs, or the family without any choice or pay. The political analysis of these two types of labour is not obnoxious; it is done in a way that shows the issue without detracting from the artistic aspect of the film.
Given that the character of Mother Jones was a sophisticated theatrical performance, it is hardly surprising that Mother Jones employed different forms of street theatre to get media and public attention. What is your favorite bit of street theatre from the Children's Crusade?
When Mother Jones sent an open letter to Roosevelt addressing the President deferentially as "our father and leader" asking only for "advice and guidance" painting a vivid picture of the children's plight, "these children ranked by cruel toil beneath the iron wheels of greed, are starving in this country which you have declared is in the height of prosperity... we who know of these sufferings have taken up their cause and are now marching towards you in the hope that your tender heart will counsel with us to abolish this crime" (135)
Mother Jones had a "talent for impromptu organizing" that she demonstrated during the 1897 strike by bituminous miners and again during the 1900 and 1902 strikes by anthracite miners. What were some of her organizing tactics during the strikes, and what were the characteristic features of her speeches?
When organizing a rally or union of any sort it is important to have the masses on your side. She spoke as a voice for those who couldn't articulate for themselves what was right. Her political convictions and understandings led her to have complete ideas of what the strike could accomplish for the people. She spoke of not being scared and having no fear of consequences. She exposed capitalists and their motives. Mother Jones' weapons, stories "about strikes she had led and speeches she had made; about interviews with presidents and governors and captains of industry; about jails and convict camps." She berated the miners for their cowardice, telling them if they were afraid to fight, then she would continue on alone. "Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living." She went wherever the most dangerous fight was, she would go and be one with the people and organize them on their level, tried to build unity by getting farmers to donate food, she had wives involved by inviting them to parties with a food admission requirement, the broom brigade to try and get scab (strikebreakers) to less likely use physical forces. She used dramatic gestures, she would contradict or use a strong inspirational direction, she never said anything negative it was always positive and always looking at the best outcome, focused on victory here and now not religious victory, low voice that carried a long way, she used vernacular language, she told stories about herself to personalize the struggle through herself, she used lots of humor, even people that couldn't understand what she was saying were drawn to her because of her charisma, she was emotionally moving.
What were the characteristics of the working class femininity and masculinity idealized by Mother Jones (pp. 87-89)?
Women's role or the feminine role was love, devotion, self-sacrifice and passionate care. She argued that women should have a greater range of interests as to have more in common with her husband. The man's role or the masculine ideal was loyalty (to the Union) and resisting oppression. She perpetuated very distinct gender roles based on the ideal family. Idealized Victorian masculinity and femininity playing into a structural functionalist division of labour. In the sense that she asserted a role for herself in a field dominated by men, yes Mother Jones was a feminist. In the sense that she saw woman's role as unique, nurturing and supportive, and therefore ignored or opposed woman's full political, social and economic equality, perhaps not. She was concerned primarily with supporting the rights of male wage earners, but as a woman in a strong and nontraditional role who made a significant contribution to history, she is certainly an important figure in women's history. Mother Jones opposed female suffrage, fearing that focus on the vote would divert working class women from economic issues. She saw the suffrage movement as an upper class women's distraction, saying, "The plutocrats (those whose power derives from their wealth) have organized their women. They keep them busy with suffrage and prohibition and charity."
Why was Chicago so important in Mary Jones' life?
• It was a boomtown in which the economy fluctuated. • Politicized by left-wing activities (anarchist groups, Knights of Labour w/ 1M members) • Radical center of the US. • Labour intellectual, with leftist sympathies by the early 1890's. Influenced by anarchists but never became one.
Make a note of the early industrial unions listed on p. 61. All of these unions organized on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
→ United Mine Workers of America - 1890 (UMWA) → Western Federation of Miners - 1893 (WFM) → Industrial Workers of the World - 1905 (IWW) → American Railway Union - 1983
