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The woman who would come to be known as the Unsinkable Molly Brown was born on Dealer Alley and Butler Street in Hannibal, Missouri on July 18, 1867. She was born during a very bad thunderstorm and her mother predicted right then that Molly would not be just another pretty face. Margaret (Molly's birth name) grew up in a small town with a surprisingly small population of less than 20, 000 people. (Heroine of the Titanic, 1) Margaret attended school for thirteen years. It was during these years that she earned her nicknames Maggie and Molly. She had a very open and close family. There were eight people in her small childhood home.
These eight consisted of her two parents, her five brothers and sisters, and Molly herself. At the age of ten Molly's father taught her how to row a boat. He insisted that this skill would be useful for her later in life. If he only knew what laid in store for his daughter!
A little known fact about Molly's family is that they were poor. She tried to keep this fact about her family a secret because she found it shameful and embarrassing. As a young girl Molly worked at the Park Hotel. She was soon dismissed for being too opinionated for a young lady. She then went to work in a tobacco plant, but found the conditions disgusting and vulgar. (The Unsinkable Molly Brown, 1) At the age of nineteen, Molly was getting bored in her small same ol, same ol town. When she heard that one of her favorite cousins and his wife were taking a train cross-country to Colorado she literally jumped at the idea of going with them.
She had heard all of the stories of adventure and excitement in the West and wanted very badly to try her hand at it herself. Molly's parents decided to let her go because their small town had nothing to offer their daughter. Molly's main goal in life had always been to achieve success and be well known. They hoped their oldest child could make her dreams come true in the great land of Colorado. Once Molly got to Colorado, she was anxious to begin her own adventure and see what was in store for her.
She got a job sewing carpets while she got her new life started. Her co-workers described her as a capable and pleasant employee. They all adored her because she had a bright, charming personality, and beauty to go with it. Molly's move to Colorado was also a bit terrifying because she could have found herself working in a crib house, as a prostitute, or a cook in a boarding house instead of fulfilling her dreams. It was here in Colorado that she met her future husband while the both were mining for silver.
Molly met James Joseph Brown in a local mine. He fell madly in love with her charm and wit. Stories say that when he came to her house for their first dates he pulled up to her gate with an old, worn carriage and an aging horse. Molly said to James, Certainly you are not taking me anywhere in that! The next time James called on her, he had purchased a brand new horse and carriage just to show Molly off in. Maggie and J.
J. married on September 1, 1896. Not long after their marriage James struck it rich in the silver mines of Leadville. The couple bought a sixteen-room mansion that is now a museum. (Molly Brown, 1) Legend says that not long after they moved into their large home, J.
J. brought home his $ 300, 000 paycheck. Molly placed it in the stove for safe keeping. When James came in later that evening and lit the stove to warm himself up, he did not realize that Molly had hidden the money there and in a split second their monthly fortune was gone. As good as things were going for J. J.
and Molly financially, their marriage was heading for trouble. J. J. was sick of all the commotion Molly was causing around the town. Although documents do not reveal what commotion Molly got into, we can only begin to imagine what kind of things she stirred up! J.
J. soon left Molly and she sent their children to boarding school. With no one for Molly to care for she decided to set off on her own journeys and find mischief to get into. She visited such places as Hawaii, Switzerland, and Siam. When it came time for Molly to return home she wanted to choose the safest and best ship, since she was now a wealthy woman. Her choice, the unsinkable Titanic, which was said to be the safest and fastest ship on water.
While on this ship people referred to her as new money and a mere child to the wealthy world since she had just came upon her fortune a few years before and hadnt yet adjusted to the first class society. Certainly if Molly had known the fate of this vast ship he would have chosen a different vessel. On the fourth day of her luxurious sail home, April 14, 1913, the extravagant Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink. Molly is said to have ran to the deck wearing impressive attire consisting of a black velvet two piece suit and her ever-famous mink coat. Molly was loaded onto Lifeboat number 6 along with twenty-four other women and two men. The boat however, had an astonishing capacity of 65!
Molly fought with the court master Robert Hichens to return to the waters surrounding the sunken ship to retrieve more survivors. He refused however, stating that he did not want to risk his own life by getting swamped by the freezing and drowning victims. After fighting profusely, Molly had to resort to threatening to throw the court master overboard. It was then that she gained command of the lifeboat. Everyone was scared and in total shock.
Molly refused to let her emotions get the best of her. She used all of her resourcefulness and bravery to help everyone get through the tragedy. She rowed for seven straight hours that night and made sure the others did their parts. It was because of Molly that everyone on Lifeboat 6 survived and reached the shore.
The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown was probably the most popular survivor of the Titanic. The press and curious townspeople flocked to hear her overwhelming story. It was funny though, every time she told it, it grew in detail and seemed to get a few things added.
Soon after, she became involved in politics. She ran for the United States Senate in 1914. She also volunteered as a nurse and an entertainer during World War I. She did this however, because the press stayed right with her.
It is no doubt that Molly Brown led an unbelievable and remarkable life. Once Molly was asked why she let such rumors go around about her and she responded by saying: It is a darn good story, and I dont care what the papers say about me or how they choose to tell it as long as they say something! Molly Brown Another famous quote that Molly has been remembered for came when she was asked what she hated most about the sinking of Titanic, she responded by saying: I feel badly that people lost their lives, suffered, and lost families along with possessions... but I am really mad that I lost 13 pairs of shoes and a $ 325, 000 dollar necklace! Molly Brown This woman made sure that there was never a dull moment in her life and will always be remembered as one of the strongest women in our history.
In her honor, several museums have been made and also a musical bearing her nickname, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Molly always wanted success and to be well known, well she got it.
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