We return to our Holy Donors series with Margaret Brown and her husband J.J. at a crossroads. The silver crash has made life in Leadville very tough, but Margaret and J.J. have one amazing opportunity that prevents them from losing everything. J.J. is a smart and innovative miner, and he figures out how to mine previously unreachable gold near Leadville. In doing so, J.J. makes a fortune, and Margaret and family become part of Colorado’s wealthy elite.
Margaret loves being a socialite, but with her newfound fortune, she also loves to give back to her community. She and J.J. feed miners in Leadville, they give gifts to children in the orphanage, and Margaret even helps create the first juvenile justice system in Colorado. Margaret is quite outspoken, and she uses her money and her social status to highlight important social issues and encourages her wealthy friends to donate to necessary causes.
Unfortunately, despite their financial good fortune, Margaret and J.J. are not happy in marriage, and the two officially separate. Margaret retains access to the couple’s fortune, and she continues to be bold in her efforts to change society for the better. Soon after her separation from J.J., however, Margaret experiences a major life event when she takes a boat ride on the legendary Titanic. Join us next week to hear how Margaret’s adventure on the Titanic affects her life and her philanthropy.
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Recommended reading:
"Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth" by Kristen Iversen
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