Elizabeth+Gurly+Flynn

=**Elizabeth Gurly Flynn** = Raised as a socialist in Bronx, NY by her Irish immigrant parents, [|Elizabeth] made her first speech at age 16. As a result of her political activities, she was expelled, but this was only the beginning of a lifetime of political involvement. In 1905 the International Workers of the World was formed to oppose the policies of the American Federation of Labor, Flynn became a full-time organizer in 1907. The IWW was a union that was constantly recruiting workers to fight for their rights in the workforce, especially women. In 1912, the American Woolen Company in Lawrence, Massachusetts lowered the wages of its workers. In response, the workers went on strike and refused to work until their normal wages were restored. Instead, the authorities were brought in and some of the picketers were put in jail for up to a year. The IWW came in and took over the strike, within a few months the company acceded to all the strikers demands. This was a great success for Elizabeth and the IWW. (Spartacus)

Throughout her life, Elizabeth Gurly Flynn helped to organize and fight for the rights of workers all over the country. She was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union and her main focus was on women's rights. She was especially active in fighting for women's rights to birth control and suffrage. She also actively opposed male controlled trade unions because of their failure to reflect women workers needs. In 1936 Flynn joined the American Communist Party and two years later she was elected to the national committee. Later, in 1942 Flynn ran for Congress and received about 50,000 votes.In 1948 the general secretary of the American Communist Party and eleven other members were arrested and jailed for breaking the Alien Registration Act. This Act stated that anyone trying to convince others to overthrow the government would be punished severely. Flynn launched a campaign to try and free them and was arrested as well for violating the Alien Registration Act, she was sentenced to three years in the Alderson Federal Penitentiary in West Virginia. Later in her life Flynn made several visits to the Soviet Union and died there in September, 1964. Because of Elizabeth Gurly Flynn's life work, women eventually gained the right to vote and were given the same rights as men. (Spartacus)



Works Cited


 * //Spartacus Educational// "Elizabeth Gurly Flynn." . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan 2012. .