Mother Jones Popular Books
Mother Jones Biography & Facts
Mary G. Harris Jones (1837 (baptized) – November 30, 1930), known as Mother Jones from 1897 onward, was an Irish-born American labor organizer, former schoolteacher, and dressmaker who became a prominent union organizer, community organizer, and activist. She helped coordinate major strikes, secure bans on child labor, and co-founded the socialist trade union, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). After Jones's husband and four children all died of yellow fever in 1867 and her dress shop was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, she became an organizer for the Knights of Labor and the United Mine Workers union. In 1902, she was called "the most dangerous woman in America" for her success in organizing miners and their families against the mine owners. In 1903, to protest the lax enforcement of the child labor laws in the Pennsylvania mines and silk mills, she organized a children's march from Philadelphia to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt in New York. Early life Mary G. Harris was born on the north side of Cork, the daughter of Catholic tenant farmers Richard Harris and Ellen (née Cotter) Harris. Her exact date of birth is uncertain; she was baptized on August 1, 1837. Harris and her family were victims of the Great Famine, as were many other Irish families. The famine drove more than a million families, including the Harrises, to immigrate to North America, as Harris's family did when Harris was 10. Formative years Mary was a teenager when her family immigrated to Canada. In Canada (and later in the United States), the Harris family were victims of discrimination due to their immigrant status as well as their Catholic faith and Irish heritage. Mary received an education in Toronto at the Toronto Normal School, which was tuition-free and even paid a stipend to each student of one dollar per week for every semester completed. Mary did not graduate from the Toronto Normal School, but she was able to undergo enough training to take a teaching position at a convent in Monroe, Michigan, on August 31, 1859 at the age of 23. She was paid eight dollars per month, but the school was described as a "depressing place". After tiring of her assumed profession, she moved first to Chicago and then to Memphis, where in 1861 she married George E. Jones, a member and organizer of the National Union of Iron Moulders, which later became the International Molders and Foundry Workers Union of North America, which represented workers who specialized in building and repairing steam engines, mills, and other manufactured goods. Considering that Mary's husband was providing enough income to support the household, she altered her labor to housekeeping. In 1867, Jones lost her husband and their four children, three girls and a boy all under the age of five, in 1867, during a yellow fever epidemic in Memphis. After that loss, she returned to Chicago to open another dressmaking business. She did work for members of Chicago's upper class in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1871, four years after the death of her family, Jones lost her home, shop, and possessions in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Jones, like many others, helped rebuild the city. According to her autobiography, this led to her joining the Knights of Labor. Jones started organizing strikes. At first the strikes and protests failed, sometimes ending with police shooting at and killing protesters. Most members of the Knights were men, and by the middle of the 1870s, member numbers leaped to more than a million, becoming the largest labor organization in the United States. The Haymarket Affair of 1886 and the fear of anarchism and social change incited by union organizations resulted in the demise of the Knights of Labor when an unknown person threw a bomb into an altercation between the Chicago police and workers on strike. Once the Knights ceased to exist, Mary Jones became involved mainly with the United Mine Workers (UMW). She frequently led UMW strikers in picketing and encouraged striking workers to stay on strike when management brought in strike-breakers and militias. She believed that "working men deserved a wage that would allow women to stay home to care for their kids." Around this time, strikes were getting better organized and started to produce greater results, such as better pay for the workers. Active as an organizer and educator in strikes nationwide, she was involved particularly with the UMW and the Socialist Party of America. As a union organizer, she gained prominence for organizing the wives and children of striking workers in demonstrations on their behalf. She was termed "the most dangerous woman in America" by a West Virginian district attorney, Reese Blizzard, in 1902 at her trial for ignoring an injunction banning meetings by striking miners. "There sits the most dangerous woman in America", announced Blizzard. "She comes into a state where peace and prosperity reign... crooks her finger, [and] twenty thousand contented men lay down their tools and walk out." Jones was ideologically separated from many female activists of her day due to her lack of commitment to the cause of women's suffrage. She was quoted as saying that "you don't need the vote to raise hell!" She opposed many of the activists because she believed it was more important to advocate for the working class than to advocate for women. When some suffragists accused her of being anti-women's rights, she replied, "I'm not an anti to anything which brings freedom to my class." Jones was known as a charismatic and effective speaker throughout her career. Occasionally she would include props, visual aids, and dramatic stunts in her speeches. Her talks usually involved the relating of some personal tale in which she invariably "showed up" one form of authority or another. Mother Jones reportedly spoke in a pleasant-sounding brogue that projected well. When she grew excited, her voice dropped in pitch. By age 60, Jones had assumed the persona of "Mother Jones" by claiming to be older than she was, wearing outdated black dresses, and referring to the male workers that she helped as "her boys." The first reference to her in print as Mother Jones was in 1897. "March of the Mill Children" In 1901, workers in Pennsylvania's silk mills went on strike. Many of them were young girls demanding to be paid adult wages. The 1900 census had revealed that one sixth of American children under the age of sixteen were employed. John Mitchell, the president of the UMWA, brought Mother Jones to northeastern Pennsylvania in the months of February and September to encourage unity among striking workers. To do so, she encouraged the wives of the workers to organize into a group that would wield brooms, beat on tin pans, and shout "join the union!" She felt that wives had an important role to play as the nurturers and motivators of the striking men, but not as fellow workers. She claimed that the young girls working in the mills were being robbed an.... Discover the Mother Jones popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Mother Jones books.
Best Seller Mother Jones Books of 2024
-
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
Jackie LauJackie Lau, author of the “full of heart” (Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author) The StandUp Groomsman, returns with a charming romcom about a young woman’s desperate a...
-
Only a Mother
Elisabeth Carpenter'An addictive new talent' Helen FieldsONLY A MOTHER . . .Erica Wright hasn't needed to scrub 'MURDERER' off her house in over a year. Life is almost quiet again. Then her son, Crai...
-
The Sunday Lunch Club
Juliet Ashton‘A warming testament to the elasticity and enduring love of true family bonds. I adored this book' Penny Parkes'Fresh, funny and utterly fabulous, it’s the perfect holiday rea...
-
Out of Warranty
Haywood SmithIf you've ever struggled with a health insurance claim, you'll love Haywood Smith's witty sendup of the health insurance industry, the drug companies, the medical profession, and f...
-
Mother Jones
Elliott J. GornHer rallying cry was famous: "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living." A century ago, Mother Jones was a celebrated organizer and agitator, the very soul of the moder...
-
White Noise
Mercedes Mercier'A true edgeofyourseat thriller ... A total pageturner' KELLI HAWKINSSomeone knows your secrets. Someone knows your shame. And they won't stay buried for long.A searing, dark and d...
-
Sister Stardust
Jane GreenNATIONAL BESTSELLERA PARADE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEARA NEW YORK POST BEST BOOK OF THE WEEKIn her first novel inspired by a true story, Jane Green reimagines the life o...
-
The Gin Dictionary
David T Smith"Comprehensive...will enhance your gin appreciation" The New York TimesAn AZ compendium of everything you need to know about gin, from botanicals to the perfect G&T. Includes ...
-
Raising Human Beings
Ross W GreeneRenowned child psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of Lost at School and The Explosive Child explains how to cultivate a better parentchild relationship while also n...
-
Forever, Interrupted
Taylor Jenkins ReidFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo“Touching and powerful...Reid masterfully grabs hold of the heartstrings and doesn't let go. A stunn...
-
MOTHER JONES
Mother Jones & Mary Field PartonMother Jones was an exceptional woman who tirelessly fought for worker's rights till the end of her life. Labelled as the "Most Dangerous Woman" in America, she organis...
-
Mother Jones
Mother Jones & Mary Field PartonMother Jones was an exceptional woman who tirelessly fought for worker's rights till the end of her life. Labelled as the "Most Dangerous Woman" in America, she organised many succ...
-
Q
Quincy JonesMusician, composer, producer, arranger, and pioneering entrepreneur Quincy Jones has lived large and worked for five decades alongside the superstars of music and entertainment in...
-
Mother Jones
Simon CorderyA life touched by tragedy and deprivationchildhood in her native Ireland ending with the potato famine, immigration to Canada and then to the United States, marriage followed by th...
-
A Step In The Dark
Judith LennoxSecrets can bind a family or tear them apart... Judith Lennox's A Step in the Dark is a powerful family drama set in India and Scotland that spans from 1915 to the 1960s. Perfect...
-
There is Power in a Union
Philip DrayFrom the nineteenthcentury textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, to the triumph of unions in the twentieth century and their waning influence today, the contest between labor and...
-
Promise Me
Jill MansellTHE NO. 1 EBOOK BESTSELLERA witty, heartwarming story of love, life and second chances set in the idyllic Cotswolds, from the glorious Jill Mansell.'I completely adored it . . . B...
-
Pay Attention, Carter Jones
Gary D. SchmidtCarter Jones is astonished early one morning when he finds a real English butler, bowler hat and all, on the doorstepone who stays to help the Jones family, which is a little bit b...
-
Becky Meets Her Match
Linda BylerBecky Esh has lots of spunk. Never mind that she’s Amish, she regularly confronts authority figures. Her beautiful singing touches those who hear her so deeply that even men cry. I...
-
Waiting For Doggo
Mark MillsIt takes one scruffy dog to show a man how to fall in love...Noone ever called Dan a pushover. But then noone ever called him fasttrack either. He likes driving slowly, playing Sud...
-
The Stolen Daughter
ReShonda Tate BillingsleyAwardwinning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley delivers a poignant, pageturning novel about the powerand fragilityof family, personal identity, and the choices we are called on to m...
-
The Autobiography of Mother Jones
Mother Jones & Mary Field PartonThe Autobiography of Mother Jones is a powerful and compelling account of one of the most influential labor activists in American history. Mother Jones, known for her fiery speeche...
-
You Were Always Mine
Christine Pride & Jo PiazzaThe acclaimed authors of the “emotional literary roller coaster” (The Washington Post) and Good Morning America book club pick We Are Not Like Them return with this moving and prov...
-
A Bad Day for Sunshine
Darynda JonesNew York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the first novel in the brandnew snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram seriesA Bad Day for Sunshine!"Laughoutloud ...
-
The Three of Us
Kim LockSpanning fifty years, this is a sweeping tale of heartbreak and forbidden love from the author of The Other Side of Beautiful.When seventyfiveyearold Thomas Mullet reluctantly sits...
-
Perfect Tunes
Emily Gould“An intoxicating blend of music, love, and family from one of the essential writers of the internet generation” (Stephanie Danler).Have you ever wondered what your mother was like ...
-
Pundamentalist
Gary Delaney'For a collection of good oldfashioned gags, it's one of the best out there, a rich buffet of inventive wordplay that's best savoured a little at a time to fully appreciate the j...
-
Infinite Country
Patricia EngelA REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK and INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE 2021 NEW AMERICAN VOICES AWARD, LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL, A 2022 DAYTON LITERARY PE...
-
This Must Be the Place
Kate RacculiaA sudden death, a nevermailed postcard, and a longburied secret set the stage for a luminous and heartbreakingly real novel about lost souls finding one anotherThe DarbyJones board...
-
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland“In a world where we are so often dividing ourselves into us and them, this book feels like a kind of magic, celebrating all beliefs, ethnicities, and unknowns.” The New York Times...
-
The Wedding of the Year
Jill MansellTHE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Vintage Jill Mansell, this is a real ray of sunshine' FabulousLove, friendship and secrets revealed as the sun beats down on dazzling blue Cornis...
-
American Prison
Shane BauerAn enraging, necessary look at the private prison system, and a convincing clarion call for prison reform.” NPR.orgNew York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018 One o...
-
The Plus One
Sophia Money-Coutts‘So funny. And the sex is amazing – makes me feel like a nun!’ Jilly Cooper‘Light, fizzy and as snortinducing as a pint of Prosecco.’ Evening Standard Magazine‘Hilarious and compel...
-
John Denver
John CollisJohn Denver was America's biggestselling solo star of the '70s. In commercial terms he was on a par with Sinatra in the '40s, Elvis in the '50s and the Beatles in the '60s. He expe...
-
Mother Jones
Dorothy L. WakeMother Jones: Revolutionary Leader of Labor and Social Reform defines Mother Jones as the most significant and relevant political voice for the working class to ever emerge from wi...
-
The People Speak
Howard ZinnCollected here is a brief history of America told through stories applauding the enduring spirit of dissent.To celebrate the millionth copy sold of his book, A People's H...
-
Delphine Jones Takes a Chance
Beth MorreyA heartening and lifeaffirming novel about a single mother learning to make a bigger life, and the power of human connection to grow our worlds.Delphine Jones’s world is about to g...
-
The Tenth Muse
Judith JonesA memoir by the legendary cookbook editor who was present at the creation of the American food revolution and played a pivotal role in shaping it “Engrossing. . . . The...
-
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins ReidNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“If you’re looking for a book to take on holiday this summer, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beac...
-
How to Be Second Best
Jessica DettmannA hilarious and heartwarming novel about the complicated, messy, delightful struggles of modern life, for all fans of Marian Keyes, Holly Wainwright and Zoe Foster Blake.Going from...
-
Queen Bee
Ciara Geraghty‘Bridget Jones meets menopause…sharp, funny and real’ Cecelia AhernLay on the couch for a brief nap. Woke up an hour later, the witch trials book I’m reading stuck to one side of m...
-
New People
Danzy SennaNamed a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, VOGUE, TIME MAGAZINE, NPR and THE ROOT"[A] cutting take on race and class...part dark comedy, part surreal morality...
-
Love and Other Puzzles
Kimberley AllsoppFollowing the clues doesn't always lead you where you might expect ...A witty, warmhearted and appealing novel about how stepping out of our comfort zones can sometimes be the best...
-
Such a Pretty Girl
T. GreenwoodPerfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Jodi Picoult, and Emma Cline, this vividly lyrical, evocative novel from the awardwinning author transports readers to the gritty atmospher...