From the heart of Pennsylvania's Hard Coal Region came one of the most violent episodes in the history of the American Labor Movement, the Molly Maguires.  Were they terrorists, heroes, martyrs, or just ordinary men caught up in an impossible situation?  The violence associated with these incidents will be the foundation of the anti-labor attitude held by much of the nation to the present day.  Sixteen murders lead to the hanging of 20 Irish defendants.  Fact and fiction have become so blended that the truth behind the Molly Maquire legends may never be known.  Besides the obvious economic issues, there were ethnic, religious, and personal overtones.  The fact remains that the Union, the Mollies, and Murder were linked and put into a neat little package tied with a Pinkerton bow.  Charles M. Sacavage, award winning distance educator and Adjunct Professor of History for Alvernia College, PA, will bring this vivid illustration of the struggles of the organized labor movement to life through the eyes of Benjamin Franklin, Superintendent of the Pinkerton Agency in Philadelphia during 1870's.

 

     This electronic field trip applies the fourth Standard Statement within the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for History:

 

     Conflict and Cooperation Among Social Groups and Organizations