The Molly Maguires was a secret society that originated in 19th-century Ireland and later emerged in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Their goal was to defend the working class. Although twenty men were hanged, the true extent of the Molly Maguires’ existence and involvement in Pennsylvania remains a subject of debate. According to author Anthony Bimba, “The name of a Molly Maguire being attached to a man’s name is sufficient to hang him.”
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Visit the Molly Maguire Auto Tour: https://schuylkillriver.org/map/places-to-visit/molly-maguire-auto-tour/ or the Molly Maguire Historical Park at W Centre St, Mahanoy City, PA 17948.
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Sources for this episode:
- Bimba, Anthony. The Molly Maguires. 1932.
- Caruso, Gianna. “The Tragedy of the Molly Maguires – National Canal Museum - National Canal Museum.” National Canal Museum, https://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Canal-Museum/137636696259965, 8 Mar. 2023, https://canals.org/2023/03/08/the-tragedy-of-the-molly-maguires/.
- Coleman, J. Walter. Molly Maguire Riots. 1936.
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- Lewis, Arthur H., and Walter Bernstein. The Molly Maguires. Directed by Martin Ritt, N/A, 1970, N/A. Film
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- “Molly Maguires – Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society.” Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society, https://colcohist-gensoc.org/additional-databases/molly-maguires/. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
- “The Legend of the Molly Maguires | Pennsylvania Center for the Book.” Pennsylvania Center for the Book, https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/legend-molly-maguires. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
- “The Molly Maguires, from Boyer and Morais, Labor’s Untold Story, Pp. 43-58.” Index Of /, https://msuweb.montclair.edu/~furrg/i2l/mollymaguires.html. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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