The Factory Fire That Brought About Change for All
HIST1002 - United States History II
University of Cincinnati
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
On the twenty-fifth of March 1911, a fire erupted on the top three floors of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory. It was the end of the shift and the women/girls and the few men who worked
there were in the process of grabbing their things to head home. The fire lasted for about 30
minutes and at the end 146 employees had either perished in the flames or they jumped to their
death to escape the fire. Most of the 146 dead (123) were young girls. The city was outraged
and in mourning at the significant loss of innocent life. Having witnessed the tragedy as it
unfolded before their very eyes and with visions of the broken bodies that littered the pavement
in front of the building, the community would rally behind the garment workers and demand
changes to ensure this never happened again. That never again would the innocent lives of
young girls and women be put in a place where their lives were forfeit because the factory
owners cared more about the bottom line than they did their workers, no more would the
government be able to ignore or worse accept bribes intended to keep them quiet about the
dangerous working conditions of their citizens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire played a
pivotal role in changing the American workplace by ensuring the health and safety of the
factory workers, resulting in government oversight of fire safety measures in factories, holding
owners accountable for unsafe working environments and fair hours for their workers, and the
recognition and regular use of unions on behalf of the garment workers.Dangerous working
conditions, low wages, and deplorable employment procedures led toa strike of the large
garment factory workers in New York City. The 1909 strike christened, "TheUprising of
20,000" was of mostly newer migrants, predominantly young female Jewish and Italian girls
and women. The strike was short-lived though, as the various proprietors of the different
factories cut through the strike by offering higher wages but no concessions on control or say
by the workers or the unions. Because the workers could not afford to pass up this offer, the
strike ended precipitously without any changes made to improve the safety or sanitary
conditions of the factories.1 Just over a year later a major fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in Greenwich Village, New York, killing 146 people, of that 125 of them were female.2
The overwhelming size of the catastrophe would have long lasting impacts for garment factory
workers, their families, the public, and unions well into the future because of the horrifying
conditions the community would discover that the garment and general factory workers
endured via a long and arduous investigation. The fire that erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory consumed the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the building, the top three floors. It
started just as the workday was ending for the workers, around 4pm on the Greene St side of
the building underneath one of the sewing tables. The floor was littered with bits of fabric and
was ripe for conflagration. While some workers tried to put the fire out with water, many more
attempted to flee the building via the one and only fire escape but the door to that exit was
locked and the elevator could only hold so many people at once. Rather than being burned alive
many workers chose to jump to their deaths.3 Leaving broken and distorted bodies lying all
over the pavement on the ground outside the building. The owners managed to escape by going
up to the roof of the building and accessing the roof of the building next door. Most of the
people killed came from the ninth floor who were never given notice that flame was engulfing
the building.4 In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the working-class people
were incensed with outrage. All the bodies were taken to the morgue to await identification.
The police reported that by the next night over 200,000 people had come to the morgue "to
view the victims of the fire".5 Because of this dramatic event reformers, unionizers, the
members of the working-class, and politicians congregated at the Metropolitan Opera to discuss
what action should be taken to ensure this tragedy never happened again while also honoring
the many victims of the fire. Eventually, they formed the Factory Investigation Commission
which led to massive reforms in fire safety, length of workday, types of buildings that are
allowed to be factories, fire drills, escape routes/exits from buildings in case of fire, and
expedient notifications of fire to others in the buildings and to the fire department itself.6A
major trend of the period in which the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place, were
massive labor strikes led by unions and employees in the garment industry for workers to be
better paid, have less hours, and safer working conditions.7 The Uprising of 20,000 happened
only 13 months before the Triangle Factory Fire took place. This was a major strike of garment
industry employees against the unfair wages, hours, and lack of safety options in the factories.
Without this strike occurring the Triangle Factory Fire would not have been as easily
recognizable to reformers 13 months later, but many of the girls and women who had
participated in the Uprising of 20,000 would later become survivors or victims of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire.8 A second trend of this period in history is the massive government
corruption that was happening throughout New York.9 Fires in garment factory buildings were
not abnormal in New York at this time in history. 10 And there were many factories that were
guilty of not being up to code with fire safety measures or simply ignoring them. During the
trial multiple arms of the government spent their time blaming each other of being inept in
making sure the Triangle Factory had met its safety inspections and that there were sufficient
measures being taken to ensure the safety of all the employees and their egress in case of
conflagration. From the Building Department to the Fire Department blame was passed back
and forth with no one being held responsible.11The greed and corruption were not limited to
the government during this period of time, garment factory owners were also known for their
unfair treatment of their employees as well as their disinterest in ensuring the safety of those
employees.12 Fires were common place because owners were focused on production and
money making, to accomplish this access to regular breaks were curtailed by having locked
doors and stairways, and inadequate ventilation led to lack of fresh air from chemicals and the
heat on the factory floors. They also paid little heed to the bits of fabric that covered the floors,
just waiting to catch fire on the random cigarettes of the supervisors or the owners.13 With no
government oversight owners frequently ignored city codesand did what earned them the most
money for the least amount of effort on their part, always sacrificing the health and safety of
their employees for a better bottom line. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire there was
an outpouring of community anger and mourning, followed by accusations, and a trial. The
appalling loss of life from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire spurred community leaders,
victim families, and Reformers to demand state intervention at the highest levels by creating
the Factory Investigating Commission to provide proper government oversight of fire safety
measure in factories across the state. The commission determined there were two main reasons
for fire hazard problems in the city of New York, "1st. Investigation of conditions in existing
factory buildings, and recommendations to render those premises safe. 2nd. Requirements for
future construction of factory buildings which will reduce the fire hazard".14 The formation of
this commission and the results of their findings led to the first positive outcome of the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire. After their inspection of each factory building was complete, they then
settled on ten varied factors upon which to focus the necessary changes to ensure that there
would never be another catastrophic loss of life due to fire again. From the removal of rubbish
and proper ventilation to ensuring there were plenty of avenues for egress should a fire break
out.15 Another positive outcome from the tragic fire and the horrendous loss of life is that while
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners, Harris and Blanck, were not found criminally liable
for the deaths of 146 individuals, they were forced to settle the 23 civil cases brought against
them, setting a precedent of holding owners accountable for unsafe working environments and
fair hours for their workers. There were two different criminal trials held for the owners of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Harris and Blanck. In the first trial, held in December of 1911,
their defense lawyer managed to convince the jury that they could not prove beyond any doubt
that either man was aware that the door was locked at the time of the fire and the men were
acquitted.During the second trial held in March of 1912, the judge informed the jury that he
found it unfairthat they were being charged for the same crime of which they had already been
acquitted and sothe jury once again acquitted the owners.16 However, there were 23 civil cases
filed against Harris and Blanck and 3 years later they chose to settle each of those suits, they
agreed to pay each of the victim families $75. This set a precedent for any other factory owners
to let them know that they may not be held criminally liable, but they might not be so lucky in
a civil trial, which could cost them. Granted they only agreed to $75 each but it set a standard
by which future trials might go and if one owner could be found liable all of them could be
found liable and the fee could be greater next time. Additionally, this absence of a guilty verdict
drew even more ire and frustration from the unions and Reformers of the time who were
demanding that someone be responsible to make sure this never happened again.17 Because of
the shocking nature of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the resulting deaths that
occurred within the conflagration, there would be better recognition and regular use of unions
on behalf of garment workers in the weeks and months to come. After the fire took the lives of
the 146 garment workers there was a march led by unionists on the victim's behalf of more than
150,000 members of the unions marching and more than 250,000 onlookers watching a march
that lasted more than 4 hours in pouring rain and cold.18 A few short months later the Women's
Trade Union League (WUTL), Local 25, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
(ILGWU), and the American Federation of Labor, to name just a few, were able to raise
awareness and fight for change garnering more notice than they had ever been able to before,
the third positive outcome from the catastrophic fire. Working together, but not without conflict
of their own, they organized the funeral march and were able to get the governor to create the
Factory Investigation Commission. Al Smith and Robert Wagner, both officials from Tammany
Hall, worked together to make sweeping changes to fire safety codes, in conjunction with the
unions and the government, and policies across the state taking it from one of the most
dangerous places to work in a factory and making it the safest.
Ultimately, it would be the magnitude of the tragedy that the garment workers and their families
endured in the public eye that told the story of loss, grief, and pain. It is this story that induced
reformers, unionists, city, and state leaders to enact sweeping legislative reforms that would
protect factory workers in a way no other state had heretofore done.20 This sweeping change
in statutes, inspections, and laws across New York state would lead to New York becoming one
of the safest states for factory workers from the garment industry and beyond in the nation.21
It brought the community and the state together to bring about a positive change for the
betterment of all. It would lead the way for some of the reformers to go on and work on a
national level. Frances Perkins, a reformer, who was a major reason the Factory Investigating
Commission was formed as well as a major contributor to the investigations and inspections
herself, would go on to work for Franklin D Roosevelt as his Secretary of Labor. Proving the
lasting impact that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on the country and the protection
of its people. The tragic and completely avoidable fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory will
go down in the annals of history as the moment that opened the eyes of everyone to the plight
of the working class, especially the immigrant factory workers and the loss of life that should
not have happened, and this is what brought everyone together to make sure it never happened
again.
