Mary Harris "Mother" Jones rose to prominence as a fiery orator and fearless organizer for the Mine Workers during the first two decades of the 20th century. Her voice carried hope and power. Her energy and passion inspired men half her age into action and compelled their wives and daughters to join in the struggle. By 1890 she had become a highly visible figure in the American labor movement. She traveled across the country both organizing for the United Mine Workers and orating on her own, supporting strikes, and spurring public support for organized labor with her slogan, “Join the union, boys.” She became known as "the most dangerous woman in America" among district attorneys, politicians and rich capitalists.

Mother Jones was an active proponent of legislation to prohibit child labor. The attitude of New England mill owners and factory owners appalled her. She quoted one unapologetic owner who said, “So long as they (children) can do my work for what I choose to pay them, I keep them, getting out of them all I can. They must look after themselves, as I do for myself. When my machines get old and useless, I reject them and get new ones; and these children are part of my machinery."

In order to bring attention to the plight of children made to work in the mills and factories, she organized a children's’ march in 1903. The newspapers called it the "March of the Mill Children." Mother Jones wanted to draw attention to the shameful working conditions of child labor. She organized and led a band of children who had worked in the mills, many with crushed hands or missing fingers, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Oyster Bay, N.Y. with the intention of taking them to President Roosevelt’s vacation home to ask that he get a law passed prohibiting child labor.

She told the press, “I want President Roosevelt to hear the wail of the children who never had a chance to go to school but rather have to work 11 and 12 hours a day in the textile mills of Pennsylvania; who weave the carpets that he and you walk upon; and the lace curtains in your windows, and the clothes of the people. I will tell the president that the prosperity he boasts of is the prosperity of the rich wrung from the poor and helpless.”

However, the president refused to see Mother Jones and the children. She satisfied herself with the knowledge she drew the American public's attention to the child abuse being conducted by rich, uncaring, profit-driven mill and factory owners across America.

Mother Jones was arrested several times because of her organizing activities leading to worker strikes. As she said, she was a Hell Raiser. At one trial she was instructed to call the judge “Your Honor.” Her response: “Are you referring to the old chap behind the justice counter? Well, I can’t call him ‘Your Honor’ until I know how honorable he is. You know I took an oath to tell the truth when I took the witness stand.”

After many hard fought years of being a voice for labor, in 1924 Mother Jones was finally recognized for humanitarian service by President Calvin Coolidge. She lived to be 100 years old. She never stopped working for fairness for the working man. She spent her Golden Years continuing her fight for the laboring class especially, her beloved miners.