In 1869, mineworkers gathered in Hazleton, PA and put their grievances in writing - condemning company stores, withheld wages, and employer control over daily life. Their resolutions, printed by a labor newspaper in Philly, reveal how tightly coal companies gripped both work and survival. Read the full story.
In April 1931, as the Great Depression tightened its grip, hundreds of hungry, unemployed men - among them out-of-work Coal Region miners - marched on the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. They filled the streets, met with lawmakers and Governor Gifford Pinchot, and demanded millions in relief money, only to be turned away empty-handed. It’s a stark snapshot from the early years of the nation's worst economic crisis. Read the full story.
In September 1900, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones rallied women in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, to join a march supporting striking miners. Her stirring speech and fearless leadership convinced workers at nearby patch towns to lay down their tools in solidarity. Read the full story.
Women in the Schuylkill County community locked arms and blocked streets to prevent coal trucks from navigating the town's streets.