author
Mother Jones
1837–1930
A fearless labor organizer and unforgettable speaker, she became one of the most recognizable voices for miners, factory workers, and children pushed into hard labor. Her life moved from personal tragedy to public defiance, helping turn her into a legend of the American labor movement.
1 Audiobook
Autobiography of Mother Jones
by Mother Jones
About the author
Born Mary G. Harris in Cork, Ireland, and later known as Mother Jones, she was baptized in 1837 and went on to live in Canada and the United States. Before becoming an organizer, she worked as a teacher and a dressmaker.
After losing her husband and four children in the yellow fever epidemic of 1867, she eventually devoted herself to labor activism. She became especially well known for organizing miners and other industrial workers, and for her fierce speaking style, which made her one of the most prominent labor leaders of her era.
Mother Jones is remembered for her long fight for safer working conditions, stronger unions, and justice for working families. Her reputation as a tireless agitator, even in old age, helped make her an enduring symbol of the labor movement.