The Molly Maguires Essay - 1436 Words

Who were the Molly Maguires? Did they really exist? These are questions asked by many people today. Some historians wonder if the Molly Maguires really did bring their secret society from England to the United States, or if the incidents blamed on them were just random accidents on which officials needed to place a blame. We may never actually know... nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There are many ideas about how the â€Å"Molly Maguires† got their name. One of the most popular is that Molly was a poor widow, who was evicted from her home after the landlord’s agent apparently, â€Å"severely abused her and her daughter†. The group adopted this name in homage to the Molly and her bravery. Another theory is that Molly’s home was used as the first†¦show more content†¦A year later, The Workingmen’s Benevolent Association. The WBA struck first for a minimum base of objectives (i.e., better hours, better pay, etc). Their strike showed general unification even though it was unsuccessful in achieving basically, anything. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;While the Workingmen’s Benevolent Association’s members were of many different nationalities, the Irish continued with their local chapters of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians. The middle and upper classes, although it consisted of all classes, mainly ran the AOH. Therefore the Irish workers had a difficult time, even with their own â€Å"brothers†, gaining support for their struggle for better working conditions in the mines. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The destruction of the AOH became essential to the coal operators, because they did not want all of their workers turning against them. When miners involved in the AOH realized that many, if not most of the companies they were fighting against were heavily invested in by British investors, fuel was added to their fire. The Irish-American could not easily forget their hatred for the English. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One may question, what did the Irish have against the English? The answer one will find is, plenty! In Ireland, the landlords and agents and in American there were bosses and mine owners. The landlords in Ireland lived on large estates in the Irish countryside and chargedShow MoreRelatedThe Molly Maguires Essay2074 Words   |  9 PagesThe Molly Maguires People of many different nationalities settled in Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines. Conflicts developed not only among people of different cultural backgrounds but also between laborers and owners of the mines. The struggle between labor and management is illustrated in the story of the Molly Maguires, an Irish group which settled in eastern Pennsylvania. The Molly Maguires were perhaps the most gruesome chapter in the history of Pennsylvania. The violent and dramaticRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Molly Maguires And Their Impact On Laborer Organizations2199 Words   |  9 PagesElizabeth Hall May 2nd, 2016 The Legacy of the Molly Maguires and Their Impact on Laborer Organizations The decades between 1860 and 1880, a small Irish gang emerged in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Due to the prejudice and maltreatment of non-Anglo-Saxon immigrants in the United States, the Irish forced into working in horrible conditions for such little pay and barely any security or fair compensation when they were injured. The legacy the Mollies left behind was not only the gory truth aboutRead MoreThe Molly Maguires1476 Words   |  6 PagesWho were the Molly Maguires? Did they really exist? These are questions asked by many people today. Some historians wonder if the Molly Maguires really did bring their secret society from England to the United States, or if the incidents blamed on them were just random accidents on which officials needed to place a blame. We may never actually know... There are many ideas about how the Molly Maguires got their name. One of the most popular is that Molly was a poor widow, who was evicted fromRead MoreEssay about Industrial Revolution Led to Labor Unions520 Words   |  3 Pageswas during the 1870’s in a coal region of Pennsylvania. The conditions were harsh in the mines and there were few if any safety precautions. A group of Irish miners organized a union in which they called Molly Maguires. Pinkerton agents were sent in by the mine owners to control the Molly Maguires, this event led to the formation of other strike groups. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was America’s first nationwide strike. 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It consisted of angry coal miners of Pennsylvania, who in the 1860s and 1870s, resisted English, Scottish, and Welsh mine bosses. Ten Mollies were hanged in 1876 because they were charged with nine murders, however this did not deter Irish involvement in American labor activitiesRead MoreIrish in America Essay1344 Words   |  6 Pagestherefore the Irish began to speak out against injustice and ventured forth into labor organization. An example is a group of anthracite coal miners in Pennsylvania, the Molly Maguires, who, in the 1860’s, violently resisted their Scottish, English and Welsh mine bosses, who were said to be cruel and discriminating. Ten Mollies were found guilty on 9 counts of murder and hanged in 1876.(26) Despite the outcome, this episode did not deter later labor involvement. However Irish organizational practicesRead MoreThe Irish Immigration With The Great Wave2204 Words   |  9 Pagesfamilies. A group called the Molly Maguires stepped up to help stand up for a much needed change. Originally based out of Northern Ireland, this group of full blood Irishmen all traveled to the United States in hope of better conditions than those created by their British landlords. This group had no mercy and it definitely showed. They stood up by murdering many of their mine bosses and going on many strikes until they received better pay for the hard labor. The Maguires worked with the largest frater nalRead MoreEssay about Technology and Society2552 Words   |  11 PagesPennsylvania mining towns endured in the late 1800’s. It was a time when the terror of the Molly Maguires reigned, and many of Centralia’s top officials fled. This period peaked with the murders of both Michael Lanathan and Thomas Dougherty. Although both of these murders were mysterious, evidence that the Molly Maguires perpetrated the crimes was available. After the sentencing and death of the Molly Maguires, order and security returned to Centralia. (Conyngham Township and Borough of CentraliaRead MoreChapter 17 : Industrial Supremacy1035 Words   |  5 PagesTextile industry had the largest number of women d. The Struggle to Unionize i. When in doubt- the government with side with owners and not unions ii. National Labor Union 1866 – excluded women workers in fear that it would lower the wages iii. â€Å"Molly Maguires† – labor organization in PA – often tried to use violence to get their way iv. e. The Great Railroad Strike i. Several different strikes throughout the country ii. Railroad companies cut pay by 10% and president Hayes ordered troops to stop the