The following is a short excerpt of those who fought and died due to the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire. “The “Triangle” Company… With blood this name will be written in the history of the American workers’ movement, and with feel will this history recall the names of the strikers of this shop—of the crusaders.”— Jewish Daily Forward (Drehle)
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire broke out. Proper workers’ rights and fire prevention installations were not in place or were not followed. There were no sprinkler systems and the doors were locked to keep the garment workers inside. From sparks to embers, the fire lasted a short fifteen minutes but it changed fire safety from then on. (Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire) Although the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire could have been prevented if safety codes were in place, cluttered workspaces increased productivity. This fire led the way to better work environments immediately, and safety codes and more knowledge about fire prevention for our generation.
At 4:30 p.m. on March 25, 1911 in downtown New York, the fire that changed American fire safety and knowledge broke out. (Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire) One hundred forty six garment workers, some as young as fourteen, burned to death or leaped one hundred feet from the top three of ten stories, only to find out that the fire nets below them would not hold their weight and were therefore useless. (Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire:) “…[Some] arrived in time to see tangles of bodies, some trailing flames, tumbling from the ninth-floor windows…” (Drehle 2) William G. Shepherd, a newspaper reporter, described the falling of the bodies, “Thud-dead, thud-dead, thud-dead, thud-dead. Sixty-two thud-dea...
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“The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire – SURVIOR ORAL HISTORIES.” Ilr.cornell.edu. Cornell University, n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. .
"The Triangle Factory Fire." Http://www-tc.pbs.org/. PBS.org, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. .
Von, Drehle David. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America. New York: Atlantic Monthly, 2003. Print.
“Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.” AFL-CIO. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
"Electical Contractor." Fire Proof. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
"OSHA Fact Sheet: Workplace Fire Safety." OSHA Fact Sheet: Workplace Fire Safety. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
On July 13, 1900 Joseph Aschs’ new building plans in New York City are approved and by January 5, 1901 the building is complete. In 1906, the eighth floor of the Asch building is bought by the Triangle Shirtwaist Company who opens a factory there. Three years later, a letter is sent to the management of the Triangle Shirtwaist building from a fire prevention expert. He suggests they that a discussion about evaluating and enhancing safety measures. Unfortunately, management does not take the letter seriously and “the letter is ignored.” (Linder, “Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Trial”) The inhumane work conditions in the factory led to the decision of twenty-five ILGWU workers to declare strike against th...
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 rights and their lives. The FIC investigated countless factories and “enacted eight laws covering fire safety, factory inspections and sanitation.” The FIC was highly focused on the health and safety of industrial workers, making reports and legislation that focused on “fire safety, building construction, machine guarding, heating, lighting, ventilation, and other topics” and on specific industries like “chemicals, lead trades, metal trades, printing shops, sweatshops and mercantile establishments.” Thirteen out of seventeen of the bills submitted by the FIC became laws, and “included measures requiring better fire safety efforts, more adequate factory ventilation, improved sanitation and machine guarding, safe operation of elevators” and other legislations focused for specific establishments.” Fire safety and new fire codes such as “mandate emergency exits, sprinkler systems, and maximum-occupancy laws,” such as the Fire Prevention Act of 1911, were put into place to limit the likelihood that another fire like the one at Triangle would occur, or be as drastic and deathly. Other organizations like the Joint Board of Sanitary Control “set and maintain standards of sanitation in the workplace,” as well as actually enforcing these stand...
On the fateful and unforgettable afternoon of June 17, 1972 Hotel Vendome experienced yet another fire. Actually it experienced several fires in different locations on this date. Electricians working on the first floor reported smoke coming from the upper floors, and a bartender reported smoke in the basement. All occupants in the basement café were safely escorted out, and 3 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, and 1 District Chief arrived on scene noticing ...
"The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911." The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. California State University, Northridge, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. .
Two of the major parts in the history of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire were the owners of the factory, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris. Like many other factory owners, both of the men immigrated to the U.S. during the great wave of Jewish emigration. They ran shops in which they barely knew their employees (as the turnover rate was high). During the trial the two owners even noted that they had no idea how many women were working in their shops as “day to day, new faces always arriving, old faces gone without ever catching their attention” (p. 273). They were solely concerned with production and were staunchly against laborer rebellion and negotiation. Blank and Harris hired strikebreakers and men to assault strikers and bribed police (p. 4). As a response to union action, the men eventually formed their own in-house union; the workers, of course, were dissatisfied with this establishment as unions run by factory owners are logically working against the interest of the workers (not to mention the leaders of the union were relatives of either owner) (p.
The Triangle based on the Triangle Waist Company Factory fire that took place on March 21, 1911 in New York City. Unlike Out of This Furnace the Triangle a true story that focus on the work condition of female immigrant workers who worked in a sweat-house in unsafe condition. At the time of the fire, this started on the eighth floor of the building. The owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company locked all the exit doors to assure that the worker may not leave or enter the factory ...
On March 25 ,1911 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York city was burned becoming one of the deadliest industrial disaster in the United States history .Killing one hundred and forty six workers ,the majority of them women young as fourteen years old .Many of this women were immigrants that came to America for a better life,but before they could either they felt death or burned to death.Causing a big chaos on New York City during the Industrialization Era.
Von Drehle makes it very clear in his book that the Triangle fire did in fact, as the subtitle suggests, change America. He gives clear examples of how the Triangle fire led Tammany Hall to almost completely shift its agenda, and how it also led to a plethora of new safety codes. His argument is made especially compelling by how he gives a detailed background of many key people involved and also how he describes in detail how things were before and after the fire. This gives the reader a fuller understanding of the time period around the fire, and therefore shows how much the fire actually changed things. After reading his book, it is abundantly clear that the Triangle fire was a main cause of political change and safety reform in America. Although terrible, it led to many positive changes in American politics.
A fire that was said to be caused from an unextinguished match or cigarette, set ablaze this highly flammable work environment. This tragedy brought attention to the unregulated/unsafe working conditions that the women who had lost their lives were experiencing. In response, the Ladies Waist-makers Union formed one of the world’s largest female strikes. This is an example of a successful strike that was effective in achieving higher wages and improved working conditions. This strike marked the significance of women workers organizing and achieving bargaining
.... (2011). Triangle Shirtwaist fire brought safety changes. Business Insurance, 45(11), 1-18. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=59700942&site=ehost-live&scope=site
The Triangle Fire made a lasting impact on the future of America. March 25th, 1911, a day that changed everything. Fire engulfed the three stories of the Triangle Waist Company. Family members, firemen, and friends could only watch by the sidelines as 146 girls and boys perished. The vision of girls jumping from the windows to escape being burned alive, broke down even the most seasoned Fire Chief sending him down to the street with quivering lips. In 1910, 13 weeks on strike most companies accepted the unions’ demands but Triangle Waist Company denied the union, giving higher wages and shorter hours. If Triangle Waist Company had accepted the union, would the 146 girls and boys lived? The fire was a terrible tragedy that will never be forgotten but it changed the Industrial life. Following the Fire there was industrial reform, passing of legislation, and it led to women’s suffrage.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire is a turning point in history because, unions gained powerful alliances and people who wanted to fight for their safety. Which now in the U.S there is a set of guidelines that need to be follow to ensure the safety of the employees. He writes: “The Triangle fire of March 25, 1911, was for ninety years the deadliest workplace disaster in New York history—and the most important (Von Drehle 3).” Von Drehle emphasizes how important this event is in history and he draw comparisons to the to
Before this tragedy occurred the suffering of the workers was very evident. Take for instance this first hand account by Sadie Frowne.
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the largest disasters in American history. Practically overnight the great city of Chicago was destroyed. Before the fire there was a large drought causing everything to be dry and flammable, then a fire broke out in the O’Leary’s barn and spread throughout the city. Many attempts were made to put out the fire but there were too many errors and problems in the beginning. After the fire many people were left homeless and had to help build their city again (Murphy, 39)
Triangle is an amazingly written book about the true events that took place on March 25, 1911. This book would be highly valuable to historians because it gives a fully detailed account of the events that precede and followed the Triangle fire. It has a more permanent interest because of the time it took place, almost one hundred years ago. Some of the people like Charles Murphy, Charles Whitman, and Max Steuer then would have been thought to always be remembered, but today they are nearly forgotten, known only to historians, and not always well known to them (267). Overall, the Triangle fire really was the fire that changed America because it brought change politically to Tammy Hall, change for the workers and a push towards a better future for workers.