Joe Hill (1879 - 1915)
Tue Oct 07, 1879
Joe Hill, born on this day in 1879, was a Swedish-American labor organizer, songwriter, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). In 1915, he was convicted of murder in a controversial trial and executed by the state.
Hill, an immigrant worker frequently facing unemployment and underemployment, became a popular songwriter and cartoonist for the union. His most famous songs include "The Preacher and the Slave", "There Is Power in a Union", and "Casey Jones - the Union Scab", which describes the harsh lives of itinerant workers and calls for them to organize to improve their working conditions.
In 1914, John G. Morrison, a Salt Lake City area grocer and former policeman, and his son were shot and killed by two men. The same evening, Hill arrived at a doctor's office with a gunshot wound, and briefly mentioned a fight over a woman. He refused to explain further, even after he was accused of the grocery store murders on the basis of his injury.
Hill was convicted of the murders in a controversial trial and executed on November 19th, despite widespread calls for clemency, including from President Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller.
"I will die like a true-blue rebel. Don't waste any time in mourning - organize."
- Joe Hill
- Date: 1879-10-07
- Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.zinnedproject.org, aflcio.org, www.youtube.com.
- Tags: #Labor, #Birthdays, #IWW.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org
There's a great song about him by the guy that had an album with Ani defranco.