Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Triangle Shirtwaist Factory?
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 was a tragedy that changed the face of labor in America. The fire, which broke out on the top three floors of the Asch Building in New York City’s Greenwich Village, killed 146 garment workers, most of them young immigrant women. At 4:45 pm on March 25th, 1911, a fire started on the eighth floor of the Asch Building where the Triangle Shirtwaist Company occupied three upper floors. Within minutes it had spread to all three floors as workers frantically rushed to escape through stairways and windows while flames quickly blocked any exits. Many were trapped inside as doors had been locked by management to prevent theft and unauthorized breaks. Those who tried to flee through windows were met with closed fire escapes and nets set up by firefighters were unable to catch those falling from such heights who plunged down into streets below. The cause of this horrible tragedy lay in dangerous working conditions that characterized many manufacturing facilities at this time in history due to little or no regulation regarding workplace safety standards. Poor lighting and ventilation combined with highly flammable fabrics created an environment ripe for disaster; hazards that if addressed could have prevented many deaths that day. The resulting outcry from both citizens and government officials over this tragedy led to reforms including new building codes enforcing safer working conditions throughout American industry as well as legislation preventing employers from locking factory doors during work hours and mandating more stringent safety measures overall. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire also paved the way for organized labor unions advocating for better wages and protections for their members throughout US factories everywhere which helped shape American labor standards into what they are today.