'Unsinkable" Margaret Brown

     I wanted to look at Margaret Brown's life because I heard about about her given nickname "Unsinkable" so I was curious on why she was given such a name in which was given to the ship she survived its disaster.  Was she "Unsinkable" because she made it to safety or was it because of something else that she did? To begin this questions let us take a glimpse in to her past.

Born Margaret Tobin in Hannibal, Missouri, on July 18 1867, living in a home with three immediate siblings and two half sisters was difficult but she made it through. In her years as a teenager, she worked stripping tobacco leaves for Garth's Tobacco Company and at age 18, she moved to Leadville, Colorado with her older brother Daniel. As she continued to live in Colorado, her brother became a mine promoter and she began to work at Daniels and Fisher Mercantile where she worked in the Carpets and Draperies department. In the summer of 1886, she met her future husband James Joseph Brown (J.J) a miner whose parents emigrated from Ireland. In September of 1886 they married, and had two children Lawrence Palmer and Catherine Ellen. While her children were young, Margaret was involved in the early feminist movements and established the Colorado Chapter of the National American Women's Suffrage Association. She worked in soups kitchen to assist families whose fathers were in the mines. By 1893, depression fell over Leadville and J.J Brown began to mine the Little Johnny, a mine in which people could only find sliver, by a method called timber-and-hay J.J was able to break through the sand and reach the lower depths of the mine. What lied in the lower depths was gold, so much gold was getting shipped out about 135 tons of ore per day that J.J was given the title of most successful miner on 1893 and a wealth of money was awarded. Because of the newfound wealth, the Browns family moved from their small cottage to a house in Denver. In Denver Margaret became a found member. Margaret became a founding member of the Denver Woman's Club, raised funds to build the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception as well as St. Joseph's Hospital, and worked with Judge Ben Lindsey to establish the first Juvenile Court in the country (which eventually became the basis for today's U.S. juvenile court). She also continued her schooling at Carnegie Institute in New York, where she studied literature, language, and drama. The languages she learned soon became vital to communicate with Titanic survivors. 

My thoughts so far: 

     WOW! She was some women, a true hummanintiran I believe someone who worked so hard for other women's right and helps different families. As her husband stumbled upon riches she goes and countinues to give back to her community by raising money for Hospitals, and women's club. I like her so far! Moreover, I learned that she ran to become one of the first women in the United States to run for political office, and ran for the Senate eight years before women even had the right to vote. Pure empowerment right there I love it.

     By the time Margret boarded the Titanic she was quite famous in America and Europe due to her past story and her advocating women's rights. Her daughter and she were traveling through Europe but when she heard news of her first grandchild was ill she decided to end her travels and return to New York, so she booked the first ship back, which happened to be the Titanic. Helen was supposed to join her mother but decided not to at the last minute and stayed in London for a while longer. Aboard the Titanic, she was a first class passenger and most women enjoyed her company but she become even more famous with the sinking of the Titanic. As the first class passengers were boarding the lifeboats, she assisted the crewmember by comforting the women and children as they boarded. She was eventually forced on to a lifeboat herself because she insisted more people could board and she could wait. Her lifeboat, number 6 was one of the only lifeboats that went back to look for any survivors after Margaret urged Quartermaster Robert Hichens, the crewmember in charge of lifeboat 6 to return. Hichens was fearful that if they did go back, the lifeboat would be pulled down or would be swamp by people trying to get inside.

     My thoughts: 

     Can you even imagine what it would feel like to watch the ship sink and witness all those innocent people enter the frigid water while you're in a lifeboat that can hold several more families. Listening to the cries slowly die down because they victims are dying. I can't even imagine a silver of what Margret faced. Especially for someone who lived to help others and concluded that she cannot do anything to save them or yourself. I understand why some survivors with insane after this event. So many souls you'd see die and feel as if they're going to haunt you. How was she able to cope after all the tragedy how can a woman keep fighting for what she believes?  God what else can this women do? Juggle chain saws?

     As the Carapethia arrived and helped each lifeboat a board Margret continued to help, she assisted Titanic survivors aboard the ship, and later in New York. By the time Carpathia reached New York harbor, Margaret had helped establish the Survivor's Committee, been elected as chair, and raised almost $10,000 for survivors. Margaret's language skills in French, German, and Russian were an asset due to communicating to immigrants rescued from the waters. She even remained on Carpathia until all Titanic survivors had met with friends, family, or medical emergency assistance. All before, she left to go check on her little grandchild.   On May 29 1912, she presented the Sliver cup to Captain Rostron of the Carpathia and medals to the other Crewmembers. In the later years that followed, she helped erect a Titanic memorial that stands in Washington, D.C.to this day; visited the cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to place wreaths on the graves of victims; and continued to serve on the Survivor's Committee. Nevertheless, when the Titanic Hearing arrived she was unable to testify due to her gender, this infuriated her and she wrote her own version of the event to numerous newspapers, and was published in newspapers in Denver, New York, and Paris. As her fame grew, she used it as a platform to talk about issues that concerned her which included labor rights, women's rights, education and literacy for children, and historic preservation. As World War I ended, she worked with the American Committee for Devastated France and helped rebuild devastated areas behind the front line, and worked with wounded French and American soldiers. In 1932, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her "overall good citizenship," because of her actions. It seems unfit that a woman of such power and pride died of a Brian tumor October 26, 1932, but until the day she died, she continued to raise money and support those victims of the Titanic. 

     Margret was never known as molly or unsinkable in her lifetime, 'Unsinkable Molly Brown" was given to her after a 1964 musical was put out. Even though I can see why some people believed, she was unsinkable, through the disaster that occurred with her she was still able to continue doing what she loved and helping other. This woman is the definition of Humanitarian I believe. 

Titanic Memorial reads:

TO THE BRAVE MEN

WHO PERISHED

IN THE WRECK

OF THE TITANIC

APRIL 15 1912

THEY GAVE THEIR

LIVES THAT WOMEN

AND CHILDREN

MIGHT BE SAVED

ERECTED BY THE

WOMEN OF AMERICA

TO THE YOUNG AND THE OLD

THE RICH AND THE POOR

THE IGNORANT AND THE LEARNED

ALL

WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES NOBLY

TO SAVE WOMEN AND CHILDREN

 Hyslop, Donald, Alastair Forsyth, and Sheila Jemima. Titanic Voices. Southampton: Southampton City      Council, 2006. Print.

 "Margaret Brown." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.

 "Molly Brown." About.com Women's History. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.

 "Molly Brown Avoids Sinking with the Titanic." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.

 "Mrs Margaret Brown (Molly Brown)(née Tobin)." Encyclopedia Titanica. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.

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