Because it is October, I decided to see what Titanic passengers either were born or died during this month. I was surprised to see Margaret Brown, also known as the "unsinkable" Molly Brown, passed away Oct. 26, 1932. She is often referred to as one of the most famous passengers with lore of her independent nature and determination.Margaret Tobin was born in Hannibal, Mo., to Irish immigrant parents in 1867. After exploring Brown's past, it is easy to understand why she was a strong female character. Her parents, John and Joanna, strongly believed in education, even for women. They also surrounded their family with varieties of people and interests. At age 13, she left school and began working in a factory. Brown was obviously not satisfied with this existence, so she moved to Leadville, Colo. During this time, Leadville was becoming a booming silver camp.
When she first arrived in Leadville, Brown worked at a department store. It was not long before she met her future husband J.J. Brown, a mining engineer. After a short courtship, she and J.J. married on Sept. 13, 1886. She was 19 and he was 33 years old. When they married, J.J. had not yet built up his fortune. It was not until about 1893 that J.J. discovered gold in a local mine and the owners rewarded him with shares in their mining company. The Browns became millionaires.
Now that they were wealthy, the Browns moved to Denver. However, the move was during a time of social unrest and the Browns became part of the Progressive movement. I was unsure of this era myself, so let me summarize. The Progressive movement was an attempt to fix social problems caused by industrial growth. For example, reforming working conditions in factories was a common cause. Some of Brown's projects included installing public baths in the courthouse and creating more public parks. In 1901 Brown tried breaking down the political glass ceiling when she ran for a state senate seat. However, she withdrew from the race before the actual elections.Another effect of the Browns' sudden wealth? They realized their love of travel. Unfortunately traveling the world was not enough to salvage their marriage. After 23 years of marriage, the couple signed a separation agreement, although they never officially divorced.
When Brown boarded the Titanic, she was on her way back to America from a European trip. After the ship struck the iceberg, Brown was loaded into lifeboat number six. This lifeboat was able to hold 65 passengers, but was launched with just 24 people. Once survivors were rescued by the Carpathia, Brown's leadership became apparent. She assisted in consoling passengers and helped to find blankets and supplies. By the time the Carpathia reached NYC, Brown had established the Survivor's Committee and raised almost $10,000 for needy survivors. According to mollybrown.com, she was given the nickname "unsinkable" by reporters because when asked about the disaster, she replied, "Typical Brown luck. We're unsinkable." No one in her life actually called her Molly, the name was a Hollywood fabrication.
Although Margaret Brown has been idolized in pop culture through movies and books, her life after 1912 is often forgotten. She continued her philanthropy work by easing tensions between miner strikers and their employer, a Rockefeller company. She also became involved in the women's suffrage movement, as well as relief efforts during World War I.
During this month, 78 years ago, Margaret Brown passed away in her sleep in New York City.
Photos from mollybrown.org.
