Leonora Barry facts for kids

Leonora M. Kearney Barry (born Kearney, later Lake) was an important Irish-American activist. She lived from August 13, 1849, to July 18, 1923. Leonora was a leader in the Knights of Labor, a big workers' group. She was the only woman to hold a national job there. She worked hard to show everyone the tough lives of women who worked in factories. Leonora also helped women gain more rights after the American Civil War and the time called Reconstruction.

Early Life in Ireland and New York

Leonora M. Kearney was born in County Cork, Ireland. Her parents were John and Honor Granger Kearney. In 1852, her family moved to Pierrepont, New York. They left Ireland to escape the Great Famine, a time of great hunger.

In 1864, Leonora's mother passed away. Her father then remarried. Leonora decided to become a teacher. She moved out of her home and got private lessons. At 16, Leonora earned her teaching certificate. For several years, she taught at a local school.

Marriage, Work, and Challenges

On November 30, 1871, Leonora married William E. Barry. He was a painter and musician from Ireland. They moved to Potsdam, New York. Their first child, Marion Frances, was born in 1873. Even though teachers were needed after the Civil War, Leonora faced a problem. State law made married women stop teaching.

This rule forced her to find other work. The family moved often, living in places like Haydensville, Massachusetts. They also lived in Amsterdam, New York. She had two sons, William Standish in 1875 and Charles Joseph in 1880. When her husband died from a lung disease, her daughter passed away soon after. Barry then became a seamstress, but this work was too hard.

She took a job in a hosiery factory in Amsterdam. There, she and other women faced very difficult conditions. They worked long hours for very little pay. Leonora often worked over 70 hours a week. Her pay was based on how much she made. She earned only eleven cents on her first day. Her first week's pay was just 65 cents.

Joining the Knights of Labor

In 1885, Leonora joined the local women's branch of the Knights of Labor. This was a way to fight for fair treatment. The Knights of Labor was a large group that worked for better conditions for workers. They wanted to improve the labor movement for everyone. Leonora had to work in a factory because she needed money. This made her a perfect example of the working woman the Knights wanted to help.

Leonora's local branch had about 1,500 members. She quickly became a leader. She was named the "master workman," or president, of her local group. In 1885, she became president of District Assembly 65. This district included 52 local groups and over 9,000 members.

Leading Women's Work

A year later, Leonora attended a big meeting in Albany. She was one of five delegates from her district. She went to the General Assembly of the Knights of Labor in Richmond, Virginia. The national leader, Terence V. Powderly, supported her. The delegates voted her to lead the new Department of Women's Work. This department was created to learn about women's working conditions.

Her job was to "investigate women’s employment conditions." She also had to "build new assemblies" and "agitate for the KOL’s principle of equal pay for equal work." She worked to "integrate women into the Knights." Leonora was the first woman paid to be a labor investigator and organizer. She was also the "only woman to hold national office in the order."

Fighting for Fair Conditions

As the main investigator, Leonora worked hard to improve pay and conditions for women. She traveled across the United States. She spoke for female workers. This was a new challenge for her. It meant leaving her children and working in public life.

Her reports in 1887, 1888, and 1889 described harsh factory conditions. She reported abuse of women and children. These reports made Barry the first person to collect national facts about American working women. About 65,000 women were part of the Knights at this time. The group offered jobs and affordable goods. They also organized boycotts to help female factory workers.

Leonora faced many challenges. Some working women did not seem to care. There were also problems within the Knights of Labor. It was hard for a woman to organize men in a male-dominated world. Employers often refused to let her investigate their factories. Because of this, organizing women was difficult. Some better-paid workers were afraid to join. They worried their conditions might get worse.

Leonora said some women had a "habit of submission." They accepted any terms offered to them. She felt they saw "no ray of hope." These problems made Leonora support new laws. She believed laws could protect workers. Her efforts helped pass the first Pennsylvania factory inspection act in 1889. However, Leonora would not try to influence politicians directly. She thought it was "unladylike."

Leonora gave over 500 speeches. One popular speech was "The Dignity of Labor." On July 4, 1888, she spoke to 3,000 people in Rockford, Illinois. After her speech, a local women's group renamed the holiday "Foremothers’ Day."

Later Life and Lasting Impact

Leonora faced political disagreements within the Knights. She became an opponent of General Secretary John Hayes. In 1888, Hayes took control of the Women's Department. He made things difficult for Leonora. She resigned in 1890.

Leonora always kept moving forward, even with problems. She made personal sacrifices for her beliefs. She wanted to free "thousands of underpaid women and girls." She saw them suffering from hunger and cold. She wanted to help them avoid a life of hardship. This shows her strong motivation.

Leonora believed women should not work outside the home unless they needed money. In 1890, she married Obadiah Read Lake. After her marriage, she left her job with the Knights of Labor. This ended the Department of Woman's Work.

When she resigned, she said she wished women did not need to work outside the home. She felt men should be the main providers. But she also added that this was not possible for everyone. She believed women should have "every opportunity" to be good at any job they choose. Her new husband, Obadiah Lake, was a printer. He worked for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat newspaper. They lived in St. Louis.

After retiring from the Knights, Leonora continued to speak. She supported the woman's suffrage movement. This movement fought for women's right to vote. She also supported the temperance movement. This movement worked to reduce alcohol use. She continued to fight for equal rights for women.

She gave a speech in 1893 at the World's Representative Congress of Women in Chicago. It was called "The Dignity of Labor." Leonora never used prepared notes for her speeches. She also helped the campaign for woman suffrage in Colorado succeed.

In 1916, she moved to Minooka, Illinois. She became active in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She also joined the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America. She worked to build support for Prohibition. This was a time when alcohol was banned in the U.S. Later, she supported the Volstead Act, which enforced Prohibition. Leonora was a baseball fan. She often went to Chicago to watch games. Later in life, she was known as Mother Lake. Leonora died on July 18, 1923, from cancer.