The History of “Big Annie”

The 1845 discovery of rich copper lodes in the Keweenaw Peninsula triggered the first major mining boom in the United States. The Keweenaw area soon became America’s chief supplier of copper. As mining and industry increased during the Industrial Revolution, labor unrest became an issue across the US, and the Copper Country was no exception.

Anna Klobuchar Clemenc (1888-1956) is today known as a brave American activist who spoke out when women had no voice and no vote. Affectionately called “Big Annie” due to her 6’2” stature, she proudly carried a giant 6’ x 10’ American flag to lead striking miners down the main streets of Calumet. She would lead this parade of thousands of strikers daily, during the nine-month strike of 1913. Anna demanded fair wages, mine safety, and social justice for miners and their families. 

For her service during the 1913 copper strike, “Big Annie” has been recognized as one of the most notable activists in the early development of the U.S. labor movement. As befits someone known as the Joan of Arc of the Copper Country, Anna is highly honored on both the state and national levels. In 1980, the Michigan House of Representatives declared June 17th “Annie Clemenc Day.” She is one of three women featured on the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame Medallion (along with Sojourner Truth and Anna Howard Shaw), representing women’s early struggle for economic justice. Anna was the first woman inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.

A local advisory committee has formed to raise funds to build a statue of “Big Annie” in Calumet, Michigan to commemorate this historic woman.

Consider donating to this project to honor the legacy of a local heroine, and to help pass along her ideals and bravery to the next generation.