Molly Maguires

Today in class, Professor Tantillo said that someone should look up how the Molly Maguires (the violent group who fought for better working conditions in coal mines) got their name, so I have done just that, and here is what I found.

No one is entirely certain about the orgin of the name Molly Maguires but some interesting theories do exist. Kevin Kenny, who wrote a book about the Molly Maguires, thinks that the group probably got its name because the men of the group often disguised themselves as women. It is also possible that the Molly Maguires got their name because a lady named Molly Macguire guided the men through the night during several violent protests. Another theory is that the Molly Maguire was the owner of a tavern where the group held secret meeting. Another possible explanation of how the Molly Maguires got their name is that Molly Maguire was a women who was evicted from her house, and the group had so much sympathy for her that they named themselves after her.