Mink Brigade

The early 1900s were a time of labor activism. Many workers, often immigrants, led the charge for changes in workplace conditions. However, wealthy women also supported this progressive charge. Upper-class women would join the picket lines in support of working-class women. Their wealth was obvious because of the expensive clothes they wore. These collaborations between working-class and wealthy women were a central aspect of the activist actions of the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL), who thought having the support of wealthy women strengthened and legitimized their cause. 

People mocked wealthy women activists, calling them the “mink brigade.” However, the presence of society women often protected the striking workers from police abuse. 

While collaborations across class lines were vital to the labor movement, there were tensions between working-class and wealthy women. Many workers felt that wealthy women did not really understand what their lives were like. Their presence also highlighted the classism of the era: no one was bothered when working-class women were victims of violence, but there was general outrage if a wealthy woman was attacked on the picket lines. 

Despite these criticisms, the so-called “mink brigade” carried on, lending their support and clout whenever it was needed. Future First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt joined the WTUL in 1923. Their work informed the labor legislation and the policies of the New Deal a decade later.

The first image is a photograph of Anne Morgan, daughter of wealthy financier J.P. Morgan. Anne did not have to work, so she committed herself to the betterment of society and activist causes, such as the labor movement. Along with other wealthy women, she fought to protect workers, particularly those at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

Because of her social status, Anne was considered part of the “mink brigade.” In this photograph she is wearing a fur stole as part of a fancy outfit, for a portrait. She likely wore similar clothing when she walked the picket lines with working-class women.

The second image shows wealthy activist Flora Dodge “Fola” Follette and social reformer and missionary Rose Livingston posing with a garment worker during a strike in 1913.

• activism: Action engaged in order to force political or social change.
• brigade: A term borrowed from the military that signifies a particular group pursuing a particular shared goal.
• classism: The discriminatory belief that those of the higher social classes are more important than those of the working classes.
• mink: A small, weasel-like animal prized for its fur.
• Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL): An organization founded in 1903 that brought together women from different social classes to fight for labor reform.

• Use this image to consider the role of social class in activist movements.
• Compare this resource with the life stories of Clara Lemlich and Emma Goldman. What is similar about their actions? How do they differ? What do you think is the reason for these differences?
• For a larger discussion of wealthy women’s activism in US history, use this resource in conversation with any of the following:
  • A Call to Arms
  • The Edenton Tea Party
  • Abolitionist Crafts

POLITICS AND SOCIETY; ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE