Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

On March 25, 1911 the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory went up in flames. The owners cowardly ran out of the building, telling no one there was a fire. The women who worked there became trapped, because the back entrance was locked, so many were forced to jump out windows or go down the faulty fire escape. That day will never be forgotten and made people realize how bad the conditions were as workers. As a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, many social reforms were built to protect children, women, and to change workers safety and fire laws. The public was in awe and shocked at the loss of people’s lives in the factory. It led to action and people started to demand that something be done. On April 5,1911 100,000+ factory workers marched in
New York to remember the Triangle factory victims.It took over four hours to end and over one hundred and twenty thousand people came to march on that cold, rainy day. As a result, other protests were started around the world about the factory workers conditions. A women who participated in the protest stated in an interview “Rosie and I joined the picket line. We also marched downtown with workers from other clothing factories. Within days, many employees caved in to the demands of the union. The owners of the Triangle did not give in.” With that being said, many factories realized that their conditions were unfit, but also many factories were ignorant and didn’t care about the workers. Today, people would never have this problem because we have people safety laws and health boards that look out for people. If the Triangle Factory Fire did not occur, then the protest would not have occurred which would mean that America would still be unfair to workers. The Triangle Factory Fire was the beginning of the safety movement.
America would not be where it is today without the Triangle fire. If people stopped and took a look at the buildings around them, they would notice that every building makes sure that the workplace is not too crammed and is always kept clean. They all also have emergency fire exits and alarms.The aftermath of the fire left everyone confused. Lawmakers began to investigate and find the problem of the disaster, and thirty-six of their fire safety laws were enacted. Without the Triangle factory fire, lawmakers would not have been worried about workers safety and how important it is to have fire laws. The people’s safety would not have been as intact as it is now without it. “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Core Events of an Industrial Disaster” by Steven Otfinoski wrote that “State Lawmakers were determined to find a solution to the problem of workplace disasters like the Triangle factory fire. They appointed a group to investigate working conditions. The investigation took four years. 36 of their ideas were enacted into law.” Of those thirty-six laws, two of them stated that every building was required to have a firehose,and a fireproof building structure. “ The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” by Steven Otfinoski stated “These laws were the strictest of their kind in the nation and became a model for other states.” Other states saw how important it was and followed. Twenty years later, “during the
Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal brought similar reforms to the nation.”

Even before the fire occurred, women would protest for better working conditions and the right to vote for women. Also, at this time children were working and were in very unsafe conditions. Many victims of the fire were young immigrant girls or women. They were treated poorly and had little rest. A women from the triangle fire revealed in an interview that “I had to be careful not to make a mistake when I sewed or my foreman would dock my pay. He also took wages from our paychecks if we were five minutes late or even if we stayed in the bathroom too long.” Even though women were protesting for better, no one listened. In fact, when they held a parade, men stood on the sides throwing food and rocks. The NYS legislature enacted 3 laws that protected women and children. They were: the work of women who have given birth, child labor laws, resting periods and the hours of work for women and children. The conditions in factory work places were horrifying.
Without the Triangle fire, these conditions would not have been called forth to investigate. In the meatpacking industry, workers fingers would get chopped by accident when cutting the tough meat. Randy Dotinga from the Christian Science Monitor stated “the Triangle fire presents a picture of a changing country, revealing callous carelessness at the top of society and the strength and will at the bottom.” The owners of these industries did not care about the workers. All they were worried about was how much product could be made a day and that nothing went wasted.One reason why the fire grew so quikly was because “Rows of sewing machines sat crammed together on long wooden tables. When [the workers] sat down to sew, it was difficult for others to walk through the aisles. On the floor were baskets filled with fabric and cloth scraps.” The safety laws put a stop to the dirty floors and crammed
tables. The Triangle Factory Fire is a very important point in history that shaped how factories are run today. Without it, the United States would not be as protected as it is today. It was proof that the conditions were unfair and evil, and it made people realize something needed to be done. As a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, many social reforms were built to protect children, women, and to change workers safety and fire laws.