Triangle Factory Fire Essay
ER #3 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Emily Refici SUNY American History Mrs. Paventi Liverpool High School The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, a catastrophic event that occurred in 1911, remains an important moment in American industrial history. This tragedy, which claimed the lives of 146 garment workers, predominantly young immigrant women, highlighted the dangerous working conditions they faced in the rapidly growing garment industry of the time. Laissez-faire - a political French expression referring to governments' resistance to meddle with the functioning of the market economy, is illustrated in this as there was no government involvement concerning worker safety. The disaster served as a wake-up call for the need to prioritize …show more content…
This factory was a prime example of a sweatshop, employing young immigrant women and children who couldn't speak English, rendering them unable to protest their working conditions. They toiled away side by side at sewing machines for twelve-hour stretches without any breaks. On March 25, 1911, a tragic fire broke out in the factory, allegedly caused by a burning cigarette butt that fell into a trash can filled with tissue and fabric scraps. This devastating incident led to the loss of 146 lives. Amy Feldman from Forbes provides further details regarding the garment workers experience during the fire, she writes; "Many things went wrong that day. There were no sprinklers, which weren’t then required by law. ... But there was also apparently a locked exit door, and questions after the tragedy about whether Blanck and Harris—who were both on the tenth floor that day and survived by running to the roof—were responsible for it. " (Feldman, 2019) Due to the Laissez-Faire approach, proper fire drill procedures were absent, as safe working conditions were merely suggested rather than enforced. As a result, the factory didn't possess the necessary tools to extinguish the fire. Only two out of four elevators functioned, the fire escape was damaged, and it was too short and weak to support anyone. The importance of this lies in the fact that the fire …show more content…
There were unhygienic situations that were subtly endangering the workers' health, inadequate fire-escape provisions, and a lack of fire prevention measures everywhere. Thus, it was necessary to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth research of the overall circumstances of workplace life. The Governor and State Legislature were presented with these facts by the Committee on Safety of the City of New York. Change was finally happening, “The massacre for which they were responsible did finally compel the city to enact reform.” (History.com, 2021) As a result, the commission passed in June of 1911. This is significant because following the fire, laws requiring social security, a 40-hour workweek, a minimum wage, and a prohibition on child labor were put into effect, changing labor laws for
History Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
351 Words | 2 PagesOn March 25,1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City was the deadliest business tragedy in the history of New York. Every morning 100,000 people would head off to work, some of the girls would be as young as ten years old. In Asch Building on the 10th floor was where the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was located. The people had to work up to 14 hours a day with a salary of 2 dollars. Out of the 100,000people there were 500 blouse makers.
Research Paper On The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911
556 Words | 3 PagesMost of the people who were working in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory were on a strike before the fire for working rights and safety precautions. If the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory followed the safety precautions the strike was proposing, the fire could have been prevented, and would have saved many lives. According to source 5, the doors were locked, long wooden tables became obstacles, and boxes crowded the exit. All of that could have easily been prevented. Also, higher class people were also involved in the strike which made it bigger and more popular to people.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Essay
801 Words | 4 PagesThe Triangle shirtwaist factory fire on March 25, 1911, was one of the worst tragedies ever back then, causing the death of 146 workers. This company was owned by Max Blank and Isaac Harris. They had a little shop by 1900 and it grew quickly, they moved their business to the ninth floor of the new ten-story Asch building. There were approximately 500 workers, mostly immigrant women, worked at the Triangle shirtwaist company. Bessie Cohen, who survived was inside the building and wrote a short story of what had happened.
Essay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
592 Words | 3 PagesOn March 25, 1911, around 4:40 pm, a fire overtook the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. 146 workers died; most of them being women. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history Max Blanck, and Isaac Harris were the owners of the Triangle Waist Company.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Essay
443 Words | 2 PagesShoaib Sheikh HIST 1312, Zimmer 9/29/2015 "Preventable Fires" A little over a hundred years ago, America suffered one of the most deadliest industrial accidents in the country's history. On March 25th, 1911, a fire ignited by a cigarette began on the eight floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. The fire spread to the entire building and eventually resulted in the death of 146 shirtwaist workers (mostly girls.) This tragedy exposed the horrible conditions in which these workers were forced to work and the disregard of the safety of the workers by the factory owners.
Triangle Factory Fire Essay
769 Words | 4 PagesBut in reality, the thefts they had totaled up to being less than $25 (Linder “The Trial”). Also, their fire escape was old and rusty, and even fell off of the hinges before the fire was over. These and other unsafe properties to the buildings safety were more reasons that the 146 workers died that day. Maybe this was an accident, or maybe it was planned.
Causes And Prevention Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
473 Words | 2 PagesHow would you prevent a factory fire? The Triangle Shirtwaist fire killed 146 people. Max Blanck and Issac Harris employ young and teenage girls. Many of them were immigrants. This tragic fire took place in New York, in 1911.
Research Paper On Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire
1674 Words | 7 PagesA committee of 25 people, involving Frances Perkins and Henry Stimson—who later became cabinet members in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration—was created as a first step in establishing a Bureau of Fire Prevention. A nine-member Factory Investigating Commission, overseen by state senators Alfred E. Smith. the Democratic presidential candidate in 1928), Robert W. Wagner, and union leader Samuel Gompers, worked from 1911 to 1914 to investigate fire safety as well as other conditions affecting the health and wellbeing of factory workers. In 1912 the New York State Assembly enacted legislation that required installation of automatic sprinkler systems in buildings over seven stories high that had more than 200 people working above the seventh floor.
Triangle Factory Fire Essay
744 Words | 3 PagesThe owners of Triangle Shirtwaist, Blanck and Harris, already had a suspicious history of factory fires. The Triangle factory was burned twice in 1902, while their Diamond Waist Company factory also burned twice, in 1907 and 1910. It was as Blanck and Harris torched their workplaces on purpose, before business hours so they can collect the large fire-insurance policies. This was very a common practice in these times. Even though this wasn’t what cause the fired that occurred in 1911, it sure did help the tragedy happen.
The Impact Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
1173 Words | 5 PagesOn March 25, 1911 a fire broke out on the eighth floor of the Asch Building in New York City. This horrific fire greatly impacted the nation. The death of 146 workers in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire were caused by negligence on the part of the owners of the factory and the laissez-faire practices of the state of New York
Essay On The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Of 1911
747 Words | 3 PagesIn addition, the fire also had a lasting impact on the insurance industry. Companies began to recognize the need for employers’ liability insurance to cover the costs of workplace accidents (McEvoy, 1995). As a result, new policies were introduced to protect both employers and employees in the event of an injury. The lasting impact of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is clear; it led to the establishment of laws that protect workers and the introduction of insurance policies that provide compensation for workplace
History: The Progressive Era
691 Words | 3 PagesThe main objective of the Progressives was “to harness the power of the federal government to eliminate unethical and unfair business practices, reduce corruption, and counteract the adverse social effects of industrialization” (___). In other words, they wanted to improve the lives and conditions of factory life and protect them from as much corruption as they could. The International Ladies ' Garment Workers ' Union (ILGWU) was one of those Progressive Era unions demanding improved factory life. The fire can be seen as a “major turning point in history,” and finally, gave Progressive reformers the opportunity to start changing labor conditions for the better
Essay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
1279 Words | 6 PagesThe Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the history of New York City. A fire broke out in this sweatshop that employed mostly young immigrant women who worked long hours in dangerous and cramped conditions. The fire quickly spread through the building, trapping workers on the upper floors, and the tragic event claimed the lives of 146 workers, on March 25th, 1911. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire became a turning point in American labor history, leading to the establishment of important workplace safety regulations and sparking a movement for workers' rights. Corruption and greed doused the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, setting America in flames, impossible to put out.
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Essay
451 Words | 2 PagesThe Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was a devastating fire that killed 146 girls in New York City (Leap for Life, Leap for Death). At this time, citizens of New York were furious and demanded that the government do something to prevent future tragedies. The government responded and the reforms that the government made, it changed the future of New York industry. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, one of history’s deadliest fires, came as a result of outrageously unsafe working conditions, led to a high death toll and injury total, but, ultimately resulted in reforms that helped safeguard future factory workers.
Essay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
1576 Words | 7 PagesAfter the fire, the horrible event made factories transparent to Americans and Americans realized that industrial workers were being treated unfairly. The tragedy exposed the inhumane working conditions that the industrial workers had to the government also, so social reform became the nation’s number one issue to focus on. Countless state and federal laws were passed in direct relation to this incident. This event affects Americans today because it played a key role in the laws and regulation we have in the
More about Triangle Factory Fire Essay
History Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
351 Words | 2 PagesResearch Paper On The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911
556 Words | 3 PagesTriangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Essay
801 Words | 4 PagesEssay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
592 Words | 3 PagesTriangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Essay
443 Words | 2 PagesTriangle Factory Fire Essay
769 Words | 4 PagesCauses And Prevention Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
473 Words | 2 PagesResearch Paper On Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire
1674 Words | 7 PagesTriangle Factory Fire Essay
744 Words | 3 PagesThe Impact Of The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
1173 Words | 5 PagesEssay On The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Of 1911
747 Words | 3 PagesHistory: The Progressive Era
691 Words | 3 PagesEssay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
1279 Words | 6 PagesTriangle Shirtwaist Fire Essay
451 Words | 2 PagesEssay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
1576 Words | 7 Pages