A Spirit Thread of Labor's Public History: Memory, a Tradition of Historian Activists, and the Mother Jones Heritage Project

THE MOTHER JONES HERITAGE PROJECT aims to stir collective memory of Mary Harris “Mother” Jones and a wider story that is part of her memory, resisting what social historian E. P. Thompson called “the enormous condescension of posterity.” Thompson meant that working-class history and conflict was regularly erased from memory as part of the class structures in society. Labor historians have done much to excavate stories from behind this wall of condescension, writing books and essays that help us recognize the role of working-class people as part of history, but have built relatively few public history projects.1 Our project developed in activist, labor education, academic, as well global networks. It built on past efforts among labor and scholar activists, especially in Illinois. The project uses Mother Jones's story as a window to the past, bringing the history to a broad audience, encouraging people to ground themselves in acts of history-making, and connecting past and present through conversations and participation. We are attentive to the role that place, especially Illinois, has in this story, giving a window to hidden or forgotten stories of workers role in making the state what Mother Jones called “the best labor state in the nation.”2We have done all of the above through sharing authority with artists, trade unionists, performers, and community partners whose roots in the project go back generations. Through collaborative partnerships, we have built place-based and roving exhibits, art, murals, documentaries, theater, digital projects, walking and driving tours, historical markers, and a forthcoming major sculpture in Chicago. All of these move the story of Mother Jones and the emergence of the early labor movement to an interactive retelling. This article attempts to historicize our experience in the context of the longer history of Jones and previous memory projects, with a concentration on Illinois.3Jones's early personal story is a series of tragedies that she interpreted through a class lens, and it conveys a resolute spirit. Born in Cork, Ireland, in 1837, she endured the worst years of the Great Famine. Her family were immigrant refugees in Toronto, Canada in the early 1850s, where she was trained as a teacher. She moved to Memphis but lost her husband and her four children to yellow fever in 1867. She returned to Chicago and established a dressmaking business. But then she lost her business in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. She later remarked that the fire was a personal turning point in her transformation to an agitator: “I first began to think of it after the great fire of Chicago, when I saw all the relief which had been sent (to) the distressed did not reach the source for which it was meant. Then I began to read and think of some plan to relieve the suffering which I saw everywhere about me.” From the ashes of tragedy, she constructed a life of commitment to collective action and confronting structures of power. Jones's fame skyrocketed after a series of campaigns in the late nineteenth century, when she was known as the “Mother” of Coxey's Army, then the “Mother” of the American Railway Union, and finally, simply Mother Jones. While she famously said “My home is where the workers are fighting injustice,” she also regularly called Chicago her home base. She identified with and channeled a rebellious section of the multiethnic labor force that challenged capitalist power structures. This was the movement that emerged out of the Chicago of the 1877 railroad strike, the fight for the eight-hour day that resulted in the Haymarket events, and the Pullman strike and boycott of 1894. By 1899 she became an official organizer of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).4Mother Jones was the most famous labor figure of the early twentieth century. Elliott Gorn has called her the “Johnny Appleseed” of the early labor and socialist movement, organizing across the United States and Mexico.5 Usually less noted, but certainly apparent from previously unpublished materials, Jones's organizing strategies were grounded in a sense of historical connection between current and past struggles, and she used the past to give perspective on the longer project against all oppression. She drew on threads, from her own Irish experience and her connection to Irish resistance to a variant of the “Chicago idea,” the perspective that through direct action and radical demands, unions could be the force for social transformation—not just a little better pay and conditions. She found inspiration from the abolitionist movement, the women of the French Revolution and the Paris Commune, and a host of writers and activists, as well as Jesus Christ, whom she saw was the first great working-class rebel against empire. Her genius was not just in vernacular oratory that resonated with working-class audiences but also in translating socialist philosophy of struggle into a strategy of labor organizing. Her courage took on the quality of folk legend. In 1922, Nation magazine voted her one of the greatest women in America.6As she aged, Jones sought to make her death and repose into theater. She chose Union Miners Cemetery in the small central Illinois coal mining town of Mt. Olive.7 That union-owned cemetery had been a site of public history since 1899, honoring those who had been killed by armed agents of the Chicago Virden Coal Company in 1898 in a key union conflict in Virden Illinois, forty miles north of Mt. Olive. Just the year before, miners had won union recognition and a contract after decades of organizing attempts. When the company locked them out and built a stockade around the mine in 1898, miners saw it on the scale of the famous 1892 Homestead Pinkerton conflict, when the steelworkers union was defeated. The union miners at Virden turned away the first train of recruits peacefully, so the coal company placed armed mercenaries on the next train, while Chicago ex-policemen and ex-convicts guarded a stockade built around the mine. Rank-and-file miners, including significant numbers from Mt. Olive, declared they would risk death for the union—but they hoped their massing on the line would be enough. A battle on October 12 left thirteen people dead, including four Mt. Olive miners. The event was a turning point for the full recognition of the UMWA and made it the leading industrial union in the nation.8Three of the Mt. Olive dead were buried together, despite different religious backgrounds, in a local ceremony valorizing these immigrants who gave their life for labor's cause. But in 1899, when the local union sought to place a monument to them and initiate yearly commemorations, the cemetery owner refused permission and paid the union to disinter them. The cemetery then also a the local union an and the Union Miners the next the miners made these and the site into a historical and about the of a of the This them in their to direct their union social This was the of the monument and valorizing workers for were the were the leading socialist in the United and the radical Chicago labor whose husband had been in for the Haymarket in the Illinois of the UMWA took October 12 as Miners to It was a the on the and Labor history was in local so that would be of and the to the monument of of the of and the role of the were a part of this union that from this this of public history was one that Jones in after she at Miners for the first to make this her used Union Miners Cemetery as a against the of as of the She to power would “the of the of She and to as of who for an against the coal and UMWA that Union Miners Cemetery a to a of a labor movement by activists, not who saw themselves above the Jones or into in after took the with and Illinois miners took her as a the union a of Illinois the union and the Mother Jones's in Illinois in of to pay their to this labor to that she would not be a few the first of placed Jones's by famous in in the to the of Labor She a of in the between and the In in different to the years after Jones's of from and to Mt. Olive to a monument to her built from sent by some of the workers in the at the significant and that It was with a and interactive for the Coal miners in the themselves as the agents of the to labor's Illinois miners were on the of a great historical and that memory of Jones in the next In with local and state and the coal in a of to force a contract on miners. Illinois miners and the Miners of America in they were the of in the they that was the best to the The Illinois left the UMWA in but and who the labor and and the UMWA to the In Illinois, and and the the the Mother Jones monument was in the had lost people in these mine The monument that on the making it a part of her the small Mother Jones in a relief at the the of The for a just just as with the Virden was the of a monument of the women who the union this did so in memory of Mother in what they saw as part of the of not in her but also against the of labor by the as the Illinois coal refused to recognize the with in the Illinois saw this as a class with between and at But to from the state and against the their including the who in the Mother Jones Then after the the for railroad after of the in a on the organizing the leading for a workers the UMWA and this and unions to from the American of Labor and the of to the industrial union the Jones had and Mother Jones did not the of this were away from the monument took full of her to major with as a with In an of the that the of is the the for to and the to the to the as This with at the from the of the from that would fight to make the of labor to the of Mother Jones became an of and her a against to with the UMWA or the she had been radical and the day that Mother Jones had as her But while this the Mine Workers of America their union a of Then the UMWA with the in and the All the union through the and that had been that she identified not with miners but with all workers they were organizing and of what their trade or But this and the of the wider labor movement to the of her memory among the next the of from the in the and the between the and in a from the of the Jones's at the Labor was and and one was for The of the labor movement few of that her her as when in French workers her of Illinois historian was by the but also found it in that of as had away from the of Jones had the the the monument were and the to the monument then in the but the of the plan of In when Mt. Olive the for Mt. the UMWA and the refused to the was miners and their with direct to the history had or left the of the site was as that the was a with were or local the and at the site that could Jones or the mine memory and as the labor movement into and as a of and of capitalist emerged social Miners for by who the union that resulted in from mining and emerged out of this the to Mother Jones's that was the against capitalist A had on of Mother Jones. of this to a for UMWA against of the of a who and and in but the and with and about the of mining at the to a in Mother Jones that Jones's own in the years to as for union in the to Jones's as found of Jones as well as by Jones out all By the this was channeled into one of the of resistance to on The of Mother Jones were the of the struggle against Coal to The women in including the coal regularly the of Jones. and Mother Jones to the coal in a in the against who were on back the in the and left of the Jones's memory as the Mother Jones in the Mother Jones in the Mother Jones in and the Mother Jones in this the Jones's back in by was the first of Jones at and a of books and have made it into the first by Elliott Gorn in all this to the of the of Mother Jones to their to after since labor have that it her history or While the of history Jones in their of some interpreted her on It would be left to women labor to her as an In Illinois, the Chicago Union and the did much to Jones's The of Labor Union established in interpreted Jones through the of what we Illinois Labor from social of the took the of Mother Jones's memory as an early The sought for the Mother Jones after the for the home in who from Mt. Olive and was of the made the in and an to The turned that writing that buried at the cemetery was of to that a that was the of E. P. to the condescension of posterity.” The site later the The a at in that the first from to the In a of miners and Mother Jones to an small Mother Jones would be to public In the as of the of Illinois Labor the history of Jones to Illinois Mt. Olive In a for Illinois in a small Miners by the and by from Miners for activists, local to place a and a at the cemetery of a local who would the the attempts. In Mt. Olive sought to the yearly that be done for the that have this to the But of a between the UMWA and the them to a to and was that of the unions to the did not In the of Labor Union a ceremony at the a who had with Mother a that people the of a Mt. Olive official to yearly monument whose made to go to Mt. Olive after as a local or Illinois place to to the years of from to a on a that the and at which in as an to of education, the most for the of Mother Jones in central Illinois. were to Mother radical became and that the of labor historian to host a and the Mother Jones with community The activists, and for a event around Miners past and present and to the miles became a for the as a site of public It was not In a Union Miners Cemetery and host a as as have of those from the UMWA This in the when the then the strike above to a UMWA official and strike and a Miners for the and and drew a By the the monument were but with little Mt. Olive participation. Then the in Illinois, at and drew a of to the In those and struggles, women unionists, a of the labor movement, began to Mother Jones as an the for women to a role in labor's was in the with husband who was then a union for the Mt. Olive We had made a of for workers as of a labor and the in with the the workers were we with and labor and social activists, artists, and who sought to the of those to the of of the was a walking the of the Virden in with Virden and owner I a and that the stories and to the story from that us to this in of Illinois labor historian who had also been in the the a people A UMWA strike with the making for a of and connection around the of the 1898 Illinois labor historian and I the from the Virden into a and I in I to initiate this project in with of Illinois of When I the a I through the sent a had of Mother Jones from It was a that we we had to a around and so we the The which the of the Jones I a a and an and a and I to all that would this into a and for the to I to the day when labor have the of the in her own and she a force and the what the workers had not this in and in it and used her It was that efforts to Jones into what Elliott Gorn called an of was and Mother was built around this it was a not a It immigrants resisting and the in the and and Jones as a global figure who from labor By it some to what I had done in previous collaborative as campaigns for and the make a which would to the It was a for unions and who used it to past and took on a life our and became the for the Mother Jones from the United Ireland, and it has been have this It from the in the the union in the and was used for years at the for from across the The used it in leading to an Mother Jones Illinois of it in their The of Illinois Labor it to of and labor activists, and it became the of the for Workers and the for a few of us who have the of the a is that Illinois labor were trained with this including of in the and Union, who it in direct have been across the this direct is in we it with an interactive of that past and became a for the of the Cork, Ireland, Mother Jones in A small had a a to Mary Harris Jones where she was in The project was by who through our project had of Jones in when at a an American from was from Cork, that Mother Jones was had with Jones in was did not of Jones. When returned to Ireland, sought out or and they did not for her Jones was not then among the historical from or from Ireland, when on We sent a of which were across to I to who to Elliott Gorn of and of Mother Jones a and writing a about and the first line in the of Chicago, and a in the Chicago in of the and back the has our the transformation of what was to be a local of Mary Harris Mother Jones into a event in that the has the role of women in history and and in and a the past and the It a major role in the of Irish as it from to the women and and the of Mother Jones so In the our project from to and of after the that it the and of the a project with E. P. We also between the and Mt. Olive. when a from to the to the Chicago we them to the Elliott and an to the Mother Jones and a that trade unionists, and as well as of the Labor in Gorn and we the project in Chicago, but I the monument be by that I had won a small Illinois to the project at the so we But as we to we found in the the of a Mt. Olive had of of in Illinois to initiate a Jones developed events, Mother Jones's town an Illinois for a of for the the and to the project we our project to a better to a digital and a plan for and that would at the and all the to Chicago, by place-based and to We developed for and at the on about miles north of the We that one an that not this Our was to historical in the context of a and global history and with partners who could on in a through Mt. Olive and the The that had been for the was for bringing a small the A Mother Jones was in but with The Illinois to the monument but was not in so for the I was and of the local and the was placed on the I on the local and an with Mt. Olive that would of We found one Mt. Olive to for the but we the with from to as with the local and a from and a of a and her a of the who the monument and a their an the Illinois and built since from the of and with The local to back it a with the of Mother Jones art, theater, and of people these events, a of and from Chicago and as away as and We with the to the October Miners Just as we were the first of exhibits, a historian from the of Illinois became of the Mt. Olive and the with a an that made the to The the from the local We relief to be to move on to projects, and we were the the had that in one was not did it Jones's We all that Gorn and had been all Chicago was a better for the We established a Mother Jones event at the Irish American in Chicago, which of people we have and at the Irish American which became a we out across Illinois to and We in the Illinois, of Labor and and then in the Workers We an at the of the where art, a and much about women in early union as were by our partners in Cork, we out to the Chicago who have also the to Chicago and the in to at the of the to the United to Union Miners with of our and local was of Mother Jones's history but declared it would be part of the Irish role to this and on what we had Ireland, the role of an Irish who to the of and labor is in with current In the years have significant projects, including markers, exhibits, digital and the and all of these have been a for the Irish of has been current to the United that the project for and the of the we were to a at the Irish American in Chicago, and it has their most It of a in Chicago, on the previous of our from the of the project has been to conversations and between past and present by Mother Jones of to where she on the line and in and interactive was we with the Mt. Olive I a of Jones with with forty of her a that with them and with the of Mother Jones. We have this to union and much exhibits, we a with a in the we this into that are for and All of these have developed conversations and with community who then to the also a Mother Jones This developed by is a between the Mother Jones that in the struggle and the the which had famously made to and in the We across labor unions and with for the first It has been a on as well as at Labor and While it in Illinois, it has made it as as Labor and as as have in the few have as the with and the people to themselves as part of a of to themselves as the of history, just as what in Union Miners Cemetery a who was erased and whose past, present and the has about labor's public history, be that history to make sense of the present and to the most won of a Mother Jones sculpture in Chicago. The for this from a The had been since when Elliott Gorn it after to a Chicago for women in in Chicago, were in the We a to on this Then the after which on resulted from the The of Chicago a the Chicago one that to they could out a to that could past to present and could the history of Chicago. We were to that from our in a series of and to the a we had an official a of in our on our previous with the past is that the first from the Chicago Union by a in the which in the and had Mother Jones's memory in that was also part of the which had been part of the Mother Jones made the from historical and through was to Jones Chicago. Chicago trade who from and had been a and an official of Union made one of to the She the Chicago that as an American and union she would a part of Chicago she past a of Jones. a labor activist, to the that Jones of the she from all of Chicago workers across so our historical we the role of the Great Fire and the relief at this as a for Mother Jones and that her was to Chicago, but also that this would to about the of labor The Chicago that Jones would help to the story of and the role that workers in We the project and later won a Mother Jones would be that a was a part of the of this but she would it that a to her a in Chicago, which gave to her when and in be the first full sculpture to this labor who was so central to a folk of labor It help to a wider and interactive of history, the that was in the Union Miners the labor history the and that is in the We this about through a of and collective action as well as historical It was also built from a of previous projects, activists, historians that we were to across the to our and community to this project for the Our working-class audiences have and Mother Jones for the Our to as we that Mother Jones is a for broad of a that a of and power for

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