Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was born on 7th August, 1890 in Concord, New Hampshire. She was born into a radical, activist, working-class intellectual family: her father was a socialist and her mother a feminist and Irish nationalist. The family moved to the South Bronx ten years later. Elizabeth was educated at the local public school. She later recalled: “I hated poverty. I was determined to do something about the bad conditions under which our family and all around us suffered.” Converted by her parents to socialism, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn became active in socialist groups and gave her first public speech when she was 15. Her speech was titled, “Women under Socialism.” She also began making speeches for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, or “Wobblies”). After being expelled from high school in 1907, she became a full-time organizer for the IWW in 1908.
In April of 1916, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn traveled the Iron Range. Wearing a red scarf, she spoke in Aurora, Eveleth, Virginia, Chisholm and Hibbing at evening meetings. On June 2, the miners in Aurora struck. A young Finn miner ran 20 miles from Aurora to Biwabik, then McKinley and Virginia spreading news of the strike. In less than a week, all the mining on 50 miles of the Mesabi Iron Range was stopped. David Foley, chief of the Oliver Mining Company’s mine police and detectives deputized and armed a group called the Citizens Committee to disrupt the strike.
During the rioting, three Minnesota miners were arrested on murder charges arising from an incident in Biwabik. Philip Masonovitch, one of the miners, had been investigated on allegations of the use of illegal liquor on the premises. A group of deputized mine guards, including James C Myron and a former bouncer named Nick Dillon, came to Masonovitch residence. A confrontation ensued in which Myron and a bystander were shot dead. Some witness testimony indicated that Myron may have been killed accidentally by one of his colleagues who fired into the Masonovitch residence from outside. Also there was witness testimony that the bystander was killed by Dillon. IWW organizers, including Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, were arrested and charged with the murder of James C Myron. They were brought to Duluth, MN and jailed.
The main IWW organizers on the scene accepted an arrangement by which the other organizers were allowed to go free. The three miners, none who spoke English fluently, faced time in prison. There was also a mix-up in the sentencing. A prior agreement for one year in prison was somehow changed in the courtroom to a sentence of five to 20 years. Haywood, head of the IWW, held Flynn and other organizers responsible for allowing the miners to plead guilty to charges that they probably did not understand. Elizabeth left the IWW.
In 1920, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn’s concern for these basic civil liberties, especially for immigrants, led her to help found the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She was elected to the group’s national board.
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was active in raising support and money for Sacco and Vanzetti, and she was active in trying to free labor organizers Thomas J. Mooney and Warren K. Billings. From 1927 to 1930 Flynn chaired the International Labor Defense. She joined the Communist Party USA in 1936 and late in life, in 1961, became its chairwoman. She died during a visit to the Soviet Union in September 5, 1964.
Bruce Mine Incident 