"General" Jacob Coxey

Jacob Sechler Coxey, Sr. sometimes known as General Coxey (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951) of Massillon, Ohio, was an American politician, who ran for elective office several times in Ohio. Twice, in 1894 and 1914, he led "Coxey's Army", a group of unemployed men who marched to Washington, D.C. to present a "Petition in Boots" demanding that the United States Congress allocate funds to create jobs for the unemployed. Although the marches failed, Coxey's Army was an early attempt to arouse political interest in an issue that grew in importance until the Social Security Act of 1935 encouraged the establishment of state unemployment insurance programs.

Many members of Coxey’s family were opposed to his involvement in Coxey’s Army. His father refused to talk to reporters and called his son "stiff necked", "cranky" and "pig-headed". One of Coxey’s sisters called him an embarrassment.

Coxey had experience as a laborer and an employer; he was also aware of the agricultural situation. He was a reformer who was willing to spend time and money to promote his plans for the betterment of the social order.

Coxey was born to Democratic parents. He held his affiliation with the Democratic Party until 1876. As party principles changed, Coxey became a Greenbacker. The Greenback tradition was a movement to put more money into the economy by printing more money. When the People’s Party emerged, it earned the support of Coxey and most other Greenbackers.

Coxey was convincingly earnest. One reporter wrote, "He seems to be profoundly impressed with the suffering of mankind and with a belief that there is a deep-laid plan of monopolist to crush the poor to the earth".

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_S._Coxey,_Sr.