Jacobs coxey biography

Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951), sometimes known as General Coxey, was an American politician who ran for office several times in.
Jacob Coxey was born on April 16, 1854, in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr., sometimes known as General Coxey, was an American politician who ran for office several times in Ohio.

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Jacob Sechler Coxey, was born on April 16, 1854, in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.Growing up attending public school in Danville, until the age 15, he decided to drop out of school to begin working at a steel mill.Coxey worked in the mill until he found a position as an operator on stationary engines, which led him to a short lived job running a scrap iron business.

In need of change, Coxey decided to move to Massillon, Ohio, in 1881, where he bought a sandstone quarry.Proving to be a huge success, Coxey started to expand his business into agricultural holdings, as well as buying a number of ranches and race horses.During the late 1880s and early 1890s, Coxey started to advocate support of the small working and unemployed Americans by the government. He did so as a member of the Greenback Party, a political party in opposition of the move from paper money to coin money, believing in a strong government controlled monetary system.Coxey ran for a seat in the Ohio State Senate in 1885, but fell short in an unsuccessful campaign.

Coxey then began working on plans for public works progra

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Jacob Sechlar Coxey

Known as General Coxey, Jacob was a national leader for the rights of everyday Americans. He fought against the deficiencies of the American capitalist system. On foot, he led two marches (1894 and 1914) to Washington, DC in an attempt to get Congress to work for the unemployed and everyday Americans (Petition in Boots). These marches were referred to as "Coxey's Army." The establishment of the day deemed Coxey a freeloader and wrote negatively about him and his movement in national papers. For more information, refer to his Wikipedia page, the myriad of YouTube videos about his life & activism, and watch the American Experience documentary, "The Gilded Age," from PBS.

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Biographical Text

Jacob Sechler Coxey was born in Pennsylvania in 1854. At the age of 16 he went to work in a mill alongside his father. By the time he left at 24 he had been promoted to engineer. He moved to Massillon, Ohio, in 1881 where he bought a sandstone quarry which he used to produce sand for the booming steel and glass industries. By the early 1890s he also owned a stock farm and racing horse stables.

Coxey had a lifelong interest in economic issues. He decided the best way to combat unemployment in the 1890s was to put the unemployed to work improving the roads, and proposed that this project could be financed by federal lawmakers through a bond system.

In 1894, with the encouragement of friend Carl Browne, he decided to lead a march on Washington to raise support for his plan. The result was the first ever march on Washington. Coxey spoke at the Capitol in defiance of the law and was arrested. After the march he returned to Ohio and sought public office, continuing to advocate for economic reform. In 1914, Coxey returned to Washington and spoke on the steps o