Primary Source Analysis The early 20th century witnessed a surge in industrialization across the United States, accompanied by significant socio-economic changes. One of the pivotal sectors affected was the garment industry, particularly in New York City, where a large number of immigrant workers were employed under often harsh conditions. This primary source analysis delves into the experiences and struggles of garment workers in New York City during the 1910s, drawing insights from historical documents and testimonies of the era. Despite the progress made since the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, many challenges persist in today's garment industry. From sweatshops in developing countries to subcontracting practices that obscure accountability, the industry continues to grapple with issues of worker …show more content…
11). The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 stands as a stark reminder of the perilous working conditions and exploitation that characterized the garment industry at the time. Tragically, these issues continue to persist today, echoing the sentiments expressed by Kelly (2022), who notes that “immigrant women of color make up the bulk of the garment industry’s workforce, both in the U.S. and globally, and are forced to bear the brunt of its dangerous conditions, low pay, and high-volume output” (p. 42). The structural inequalities and hardships faced by workers, particularly marginalized groups, remain largely unchanged. Efforts to improve working conditions and promote ethical practices in the garment industry have been met with challenges, including resistance from manufacturers reluctant to invest in costly reforms (Drwal, 2022). Supply chain transparency remains a major issue, making it difficult for consumers to make informed choices about the clothes they
in the ‘fireproof’ structures that will destroy us the minute they catch on fire,” suffragist Rose Schneiderman vehemently declared in a memorial speech after the terrible tragedy that occurred more than a century ago. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in United States history. Taking place on March 25, 1911 in New York City, a fire broke out on the 8th floor of the factory, spreading quickly to the 9th and 10th floors,
and a large economic boom, but it was also marked by tragedies such as poor working conditions and large fires. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was one such tragedy. It was a raging conflagration that claimed many lives. It had a large effect on America, and to this day it is remembered as a horrible accident that could have and should have been prevented. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was the most devastating yet important event of the 20th century, due to the numerous deaths and impact
Known as the “fire that changed America,” The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York resulted in the deaths of one hundred forty-six shirtwaist workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents during the American industrial history, as the deaths were largely preventable if safety measures were accounted for. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous sweatshop conditions of factories and led to the development of a series of laws and regulations that better protected
On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out at a Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in the Asch building in Manhattan, and 146 workers died. When taking into consideration that the immediate causes of the deaths were insecure fire prevention facilities in the factory and coercive work disciplines, the fire, commonly known as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, became an evidence of the wretched life that American working class experienced during industrialization. In particular, the main victims of this disaster
The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire was one of the most tragic events in America’s industrial history. A dropped lit cigarette on caused a fire that killed twenty-three men and 123 women, some as young as fourteen years old. Because the regular exit was already blocked by flames and the only other exit was locked, fifty-five Shirtwaist employees jumped or fell from windows on the ninth floor to escape the flames, twenty jumped or fell into the elevator shaft, twenty fell from the fire escape, and
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire most of all impacted all forms of industry, and changed the way workers worked. Along with the legislations that impacted women and children, laws also centered on the safety and well being of all workers. One of the main reforms and changes came through the formation of the New York Factory Investigating Commission, or the FIC: a legislative body that investigated the manufacturers for various infractions. They were based on protecting the workers: both their
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911) Through the Progressive Era, many advances were made in America. Not all of those came easy though. Citizens of America all were taking a stand. Fighting for their rights within the work place. Many were striking against low wages, dangerous working conditions and management’s refusals to recognize any unions. One of the largest strikes of women during the Progressive Era was from the garment workers in New York City. Unfortunately, it failed to bring any
conditions. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire, one of the most infamous events in the history of the United States, was a result of the lack of safety regulations. Many victims of the disaster died tragic deaths, and it is truly a moment we must learn from. Although the triangle shirtwaist factory fire was a tragic incident that could have been prevented, it had a great impact on improving the safety of workers. The incident occured over 100 years ago, on March 25, 1911. The factory was located
Building in Manhattan, New York City. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was a ghastly event caused by carelessness and sloppiness in the work place; leading up to one of the most salient reforms in American history; the Labor Reform Movement. Saturday seems like the perfect day to unwind, but not to the women at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. They tediously spent 7 days a week bent over an overheating, run-down sewing machine for 13 hours; producing shirtwaists for the city’s population. What everyone
A Tragic Fire That Changed History New York City in the early 20th Century was a place where immigrants came to work and to start a new life in America. During that time, over twelve million immigrants came to the United States, and most of them worked in factories or in hard labor jobs (liberty). One of the many jobs available to immigrants was in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, which was owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris. The conditions at this factory were unsanitary and cruel just like in
workers and companies. This essay plans to detail the motives and tactics of four central groups fighting for control of worker’s rights by using the text Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle. The first of the groups, the most obvious, were the organizers and immigrants working directly with or inside of the companies being lobbied. This demographic were the
of the flatness and geometry of skyscraper architecture. (Suárez, City Space, Technology, Popular Culture.) The inhabitants of Manhattan were vastly diverse, and each contributing to and benefitting from industrialisation in their own way. New factories and apartment buildings couldn’t have existed without the labourers to build them and the workers to employ. While Manhatta sees the city as lacking an ecosystem, it is arguably the human inhabitants of Manhattan that are the ecosystem: “a biological
Labor Unions Long Essay The years 1865 through 1914 marked an important point in United States History. During this time many labor movements became more prominent and their causes became more visible to people all over the nation. The labor movements had multiple causes that they were fighting for. They basically fought for bettering relations between the employer and the employees, which entailed better working conditions, an eight hour workday, better wages and an end to child labor. In many ways
Taking place in the jungle of meat packing factories during the early 1900s in Chicago, a journalist by the name of Upton Sinclair dissects the savage inner workings of America’s working class factory lifestyle. Sinclair portrayed the grim circumstance that workers faced and the exploited lives of factory workers in Chicago. He became what was then called a mudrucker; a journalist who goes undercover to see first hand the conditions they were investigating. Being in poor fortune, Sinclair was able
Women of this time had very little options and opportunities for themselves. They were very much at the mercy of men. During the turn of the century, however, women began to see more options available to them than there had ever been before. In this essay, I will examine the various new