In the middle of the 18th century a million Irish immigrants rushed to the United States to avoid the great potato famine that was taking place at home. Thousands of them ended up in the coal mountains of Pennsylvania. The rural areas couldn't provide much wealth for a family unless they were willing to go deep into the harsh elements of anthracite coal mining. For many this was their only option, and for this they suffered dearly. Numerous Irish immigrants banded together and attempted to fight the large corporations. This brotherhood of employees became known as Molly Maguires. Though they were more prevalent in their homeland of Ireland, the Mollies held quite a presence in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. They were accused of numerous crimes against coal leaders. Charges ranged from burglary, treason, and even murder. To this day there is a still a disagreement about whether the Mollies were violent criminals or just fed up employees fighting back for their rights. Several of the Molly Maguires were hung throughout several counties in the state including Schuykill county. In the small borough of Mahanoy City a park has been dedicated to the lost Molly Maguires, the somber hooded statue that stands before you can't help but make you have some sort of feeling about these historical men.
In the middle of the 18th century a million Irish immigrants rushed to the United States to avoid the great potato famine that was taking place at home. Thousands of them ended up in the coal mountains of Pennsylvania. The rural areas couldn't provide much wealth for a family unless they were willing to go deep into the harsh elements of anthracite coal mining. For many this was their only option, and for this they suffered dearly.
Numerous Irish immigrants banded together and attempted to fight the large corporations. This brotherhood of employees became known as Molly Maguires. Though they were more prevalent in their homeland of Ireland, the Mollies held quite a presence in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. They were accused of numerous crimes against coal leaders. Charges ranged from burglary, treason, and even murder. To this day there is a still a disagreement about whether the Mollies were violent criminals or just fed up employees fighting back for their rights. Several of the Molly Maguires were hung throughout several counties in the state including Schuykill county. In the small borough of Mahanoy City a park has been dedicated to the lost Molly Maguires, the somber hooded statue that stands before you can't help but make you have some sort of feeling about these historical men.
1 comment:
Wow. You captured just how chilling that statue is in person.
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