Joe Hill (activist)

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Joe Hill (born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund and also known as Joseph Hillstrom, October 7, 1879 – November 19, 1915) was a Swedish-American labor activist, poet, and songwriter. He was an itinerant worker for much of his life, organizing with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a militant anarcho-syndicalist labor union. His 1914 conviction for murder and execution under questionable evidence led to him becoming a folk hero among the American labor and radical movements. Born to an impoverished and religious family in Gävle, Sweden, Hägglund learned to play musical instruments from a young age, but was forced to work in factories following the death of his father in 1887. After the death of his mother in 1902, he emigrated with his brother to the United States, where he adopted the name Joe Hill. He traveled across much of North America as a hobo while working odd jobs. He likely became associated with the IWW in 1910, while working as a longshoreman in Los Angeles. Hill is thought by...

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