There have been many stories throughout history of people overcoming incredible odds. Jackie Robinson becoming the first African American Professional Baseball Player, Bethany Hamilton winning a national surf competition after having her arm bitten off by a shark, and so much more.

However, for me, no story of overcoming adversity quite matches that of the success of the young children during the 1890's newsboy strike in New York City.

To set the scene, we are talking about New York in the early 1900s. This was the time of Rockefeller, citywide monopolies, and newspapers sold for 1 cent a paper.

The New York giants like Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Pulitzer stood above the city and became the richest and most powerful men in the world. Also, hundreds of immigrants were coming to the city in search or a better future and working for pennies at the local factories.

The most important factor, however, is that kids were working in this factories and on the street to support their families and keep themselves alive.

In 1898, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, who owned The New York World and The New York Journal decided they wanted to make more money in their paper sales.

So they decided to raises the price of papers for the newsboys from 50 cents and bundle to 60 cents. This was devastating to the boys because they could barely afford to feed themselves and needed every cent.

This change in pay lead to a massive newsboy strike across the Brooklyn Bridge. They refused to sell any papers and also destroy any others in circulation across the city. Many boys protested the unfair price and halted traffic on the bridge, including transport of the papers.

The strike led a citywide halt in the selling of newspapers. Pulitzer tried many times to disband the strike, including using physical force from police and businessmen.

However, the boys never gave up striking. The newsboys were led by one boy named kid blink, who had a thick Brooklyn accent and wore an eye patch. He rallied the boys and led them through any test of hardship, even once saying "Friends and feller workers. Dis is a time, which tries de hearts of men. Dis is de time when we'se got to stick together like glue.... We know wot we wants and we'll git it even if we is blind."

Eventually, Pulitzer and the newsboys came to an agreement where he would not lower the price but he would buy back all the papers that the boys didn't sell.

For a group of young boys to take on a New York superpower, and win the fight is an incredible show of power. This went so far beyond “power of the press” because the boys completely halted the press.

There were no phones, or TV stations, people could not get their news because these boys would no longer haul papers around the city just to lose more money. This strike sparked various other strikes across the city, ultimately leading to the establishment of various child labor laws.

The story of the newsies eventually was adapted into a movie and Broadway musical. It is one of those not often thought of stories that gets lost in history. However, it holds such a powerful message to those of us alive today.

This true story should be an inspiration to everyone who thinks they cannot change the world. If a group of children living off scraps of food, and sleeping on the streets, could change the most powerful city in America, then anything is possible.