On march 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york city. How 146 people died needlessly in the triangle shirtwaist. To this day, the triangle shirtwaist factory fire in new york on march 25, 1911, remains the deadliest industrial disaster in the citys history, and is the third deadliest event in new york history after the september 11 attacks in 2001, and the fire that sank the passenger steamship general slocum. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire of march 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in u. The novel is based on the triangle shirtwaist factory fire in 1911 in which 146. My curiosity led me to a spare and forceful book, the triangle fire. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire on march 25, 1911, stunned new york.
The new york times, partners account of the disaster, march 1911. A novel twist on the triangle shirtwaist factory fire j. Shockingly, the notorious triangle fire was not the first fire to be seen at the triangle shirtwaist factory and especially not the first major fire in a factory owned by blanck and harris. Fiction and nonfiction about the 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire that claimed the lives of 146 garment workers. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers 123 women and girls and 23 men who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping. The fire that changed america is an account of the 1911 fire in the triangle shirtwaist factory in which 146 young female workers died. The fire that changed america is an engaging account of the events before, during and after the tragic march 25, 2911 fire in the triangle waist factory in new york city. Just as i am now, because i was never in such a fire and i didnt know it was a fire, so i ran looking for an escape. Fire this friday should throw into sharp relief recent efforts by lawmakers in wisconsin and other states in the industrial heartland to. Sep 20, 2006 on march 25, 1911, a notorious fire at the triangle shirtwaist factory on washington square in new york claimed the lives of 146 people, mostly young jewish and italian immigrants. Mike kubic, a former correspondent of newsweek magazine, discusses the mistakes that led to this deadly disaster, as well as the drive for safer working conditions that followed. The 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire killed 146 workers, most of them women, and galvanized efforts to reform working conditions in. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire in the greenwich village neighborhood of manhattan, new york city, on march 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in u. When historical fiction is done well, its my favorite genre, but when an author.
This book tells the story of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire to great effect. The triangle fire and its legacy by albert marrin, a national book award finalist, is a nonfiction text that provides a detailed historical account of the fire. Some were as young as 12 to 15 years old, and often sisters or daughters and mother or cousins were all employed at the shop. Triangle the fire that changed america download pdf. Describes the 1911 triangle factory fire, the conditions surrounding the. The brown building is a tenstory building that is part of the campus of new york university nyu, which owns it. Are the gaps in her story just common mistakes, or has she concealed a secret over the years. The directors and officers of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire memorial cordially invite you and your guest to attend our sixteenth annual memorial scholarship fund raiser march 23, 2017 honoring tsffm clara lemlich award winners class of 2017 mary anne trasciatti, ph. Mar 18, 2020 triangle shirtwaist factory fire, fatal conflagration that occurred on the evening of march 25, 1911, in a new york city sweatshop, touching off a national movement in the united states for safer working conditions. This harrowing yet compulsively readable book is both a chronicle of the triangle shirtwaist fire and a vibrant portrait of an entire age. They were employed at making shirtwaist by the triangle waist company, the principal owners of. Mar 01, 2017 on march 25, 1911, the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york city caught fire and in about half an hour killed 146 people, the majority of them young women. Triangle shirtwaist company fire, 1911, fire fighting.
Apr, 2019 conditions at the triangle shirtwaist factory most of the workers were young immigrants, russian jews or italians, with some german and hungarian immigrants as well. Dol home the triangle shirtwaist factory fire of 1911. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire killed 146 garment workers, most of them young immigrant women, on march 25, 1911, in new york city. The 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire provides the background for katharine webers mystery. Triangle shirtwaist factory fire march 25, 1911 march 25, 2011 the triangle shirtwaist factory fire killed 146 garment workers, most of them young immigrant women, on march 25, 1911, in new york city. The date of the fire is march 25, 1911 and the story takes place surrounding the time of the fire. A final catalyst transformed jewish workers into an organized presence on the industrial scene.
The triangle shirtwaist fire the fire that changed america. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire the new york public. Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, a historical fiction. Near quitting time on a march saturday in 1911, a cigarette started a fire in manhattans triangle shirtwaist factory. Ilr school the triangle factory fire cornell university. Factory girls recalls the horrific triangle shirtwaist fire.
Uncovering the history of the triangle shirtwaist fire. It tells the story of galena, an eleven year old russianjewish immigrant who lives in new york city in 1911 with her family and works at the triangle shirtwaist company factory. It is located at 2329 washington place, between greene street and washington square east in the greenwich village neighborhood of manhattan, new york city, and is best known as the location of the march 25, 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which killed 146. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire of 1911 forms the background for this intriguing novel of memory, tragedy and hope. On march 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the triangle shirtwaist company factory in new york city. Due to locked doors, unsafe fire escapes, and hazardous working conditions, this tragic fire caused the deaths of 146 people. Recorded books is the largest independent producer of audiobooks in the world. Aug 01, 2003 for a nonfiction book that is not fictionalized, triangle. One hundred fortysix employees, almost all of them young jewish and italian immigrant women, lost their lives. The victims who are now lying at the morgue waiting for someone to identify them by a tooth or the remains of a burned shoe were mostly girls from 16 to 23 years of age.
The 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire killed 146 workers, most of them women, and galvanized. Within 18 minutes, 146 people were dead as a result. Never forget how this tragic event changed modern employment. Triangle shirtwaist company fire, 1911, fire fighting, books. The triangle shirtwaist factory was a sweatshop housed in the top three floors of a 10story brick building in new york city. The steamship, the general slocum, caught fire and sank in the east river, killing over a 1,000 german immigrants in 1904, and the triangle shirtwaist factory fire in 1911 killed 146 garment workers, which led to revolutions in workplace and building safety regulation. A new introduction by the journalist william greider makes clear that accounts of dangerous. In october 1909, the owners of the triangle shirtwaist factory, fought back against striking workers. Novel for children describing the friendship of two 14yearold girls who survive. The story of the catastrophe and the doomed triangle shirtwaist workers, as told by one of the great labor journalists, will not soon be forgotten. Commonlit the triangle shirtwaist factory fire free. Nov 21, 2003 at the time of the fire, the triangle shirtwaist factory was the largest manufacturer of womens shirtwaists today known as blouses in the country. Uprising by margaret peterson haddix slatebreakers.
The diary of a shirtwaist striker thomson malkiel, author, theresa s. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire through the looking. On saturday afternoon, march 25, 1911, some eight hundred young women and several dozen young men were at work on the top floors of the tenstory triangle shirtwaist company building. Scholarship triangle shirtwaist factory fire memorial, inc.
The triangle shirtwaist factory was a sweatshop housed in the top three floors of a 10story brick building in new. Triangle shirtwaist factory fire by donna getzinger. See more ideas about triangle shirtwaist factory fire, history and society problems. On march the triangle shirtwaist factory fire kills 146 garment workers in new york city. Mar 25, 2011 the triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which took place 100 years ago today, was a tragic incident in new york citys history but also a turning point in the early labor movement. The fatal event resulted in numerous factory workers deaths and stunned the public. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. It is located at 2329 washington place, between greene street and washington square east in the greenwich village neighborhood of manhattan, new york city, and is best known as the location of the march 25, 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which killed 146 people. On march 25, 1911, 146 employees of the triangle shirtwaist company in new york city were killed in the span of a few minutes because no provision had been made for their safety in the event of fire. That fire provides the background for katharine webers new novel triangle. The cornell edition of leon steins 1962 account features 16 illustrations, some never before published. On march 25, 1911, the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york city caught fire and in about half an hour killed 146 people, the majority of them young women. Written by a labor organizer named leon stein and published in 1962, the book was both harrowing and somewhat frustrating.
The fire killed more than 145 people and led to numerous health and safety laws. The fire that changed america paperback august 16, 2004. Associate professor of rhetoric, hofstra university president, remember the triangle fire coalition, inc. As her granddaughter seeks the real story in the present day, a zealous feminist.
One hundred years ago today, the triangle shirtwaist fire killed 175 people who were either trapped or leapt to their death to escape the flames. Teaching about the triangle shirtwaist factory fire zinn. Recorded books the triangle shirtwaist factory fire. Excerpts from the trial testimony of the triangle shirtwaist fire trial. Our rbdigital platform distributes the broadest array of digital content typesincluding audiobooks, video, magazines, ebooks, education, and entertainmentall in one powerful app. This site includes original sources on the fire held at the ilr schools kheel center, an archive of historical material on labor and industrial relations. Department of labor the triangle shirtwaist factory. Recalls the 1911 tragedy, a fire at the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york city, that killed 146 people and explains how this disaster led to reforms that protected the health and safety of american workers.
But it was the most murderous fire that new york had seen in many years. Cornell university ilr school the triangle factory fire. It remains one of the deadliest workplace disasters in u. Within 30 minutes, nearly 150 workers predominantly young immigrant. Students will begin the unit by reading the first several chapters of this text, grounding themselves in the historical context of the early 20th. Department of labor frances perkins building, 200 constitution ave nw, washington, dc 20210. Reading about the triangle shirtwaist factory fire semicolon.
Three young women march against unfair labor practices in the shirtwaist strike of 190910, only to find themselves engulfed in the raging flames consuming the triangle shirtwaist factory. A new introduction by the journalist william greider makes clear that accounts of dangerous workplaces and sweatshop conditions are still alltoorelevant today, ninety years after the fire. Later, it also caused important changes in the law. With such fires on a smaller scale still causing deaths in the crowded cities of the u. This brief, deeply felt history of the terrible triangle shirtwaist factory fire in the greenwich village, new york, of 1911, is more than a reminder of the abuses to labor in the past. Books, law 11 comments in susan meissners a fall of marigolds, we meet two women separated by a century but both profoundly affected by tragedy. The fire started at the end of the work day and as mostly immigrant garment workers tried to escape, their way was blocked by a. Today marks the ninetyninth anniversary of the 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire, the blaze that tore through several stories of the asch building, on. Labor conditions the triangle shirtwaist factory fire. Many victims were killed when they jumped from the ninth floor to escape the flames. Discusses the 1911 fire that killed 146 new york garment factory workers, the conditions that led up to it, and some of the legislation that came about to prevent the occurrence of similar disasters. See more ideas about triangle shirtwaist factory fire, fire and women in history.
Mar 25, 2011 2 thoughts on the triangle shirtwaist fire pp2041h march 28, 2011 at 9. In 1911 new york city, jewish minnie and catholic tessa can only be friends at the factory, but this friendship pays off when the famous and tragic triangle shirtwaist company fire takes the lives of many of their coworkers and threatens theirs. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire is an often fictionalized. The locket surviving the triangle shirtwaist fire is a historical fiction novel written for ages 9 to 12. Watch triangle fire american experience official site pbs.
Weber uses her work of fiction to explore various paths to the truth. When the fire was first noticed, it wasnt made a big deal and an employee, william bernstein, casually went to put the fire out. Chicago daily tribune, new york fire kills 148, march 1911. Fiction and non fiction about the 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire that claimed the lives of 146 garment workers. Weber weaves together personal stories of the past and present, along with genetics, music, love, deception, and the.
Sep 01, 2003 the triangle shirtwaist factory fire in 1911, a deadly fire swept through the triangle shirtwaist factory, killing about 150 workers. On march 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the triangle shirtwaist factory just before closing time on saturday evening. It tells the story of galena, an eleven year old russianjewish immigrant who lives in new york city in 1911 with her family and works at the triangle shirtwaist company factory with her older sister anya. Mar 25, 2010 today marks the ninetyninth anniversary of the 1911 triangle shirtwaist factory fire, the blaze that tore through several stories of the asch building, on the corner of greene street and. The triangle fire by leon stein 82 copies fire at the triangle factory on my own history by holly littlefield 71 copies fire the beginnings of the labor movement by barbara diamond goldin 39 copies the story of the triangle factory fire by zachary kent 21 copies the triangle shirtwaist company fire of 1911 by gina deangelis 10 copies. The history and legacy of new york citys deadliest industrial disaster by charles river editors oct 1, 2014 4. Triangle is a poignantly detailed account of the 1911 disaster that horrified the country and changed the course of twentiethcentury politics and labor relations on march 25, 1911, as workers were getting ready to leave for the day, a fire broke out in the triangle shirtwaist factory in new yorks greenwich village.
It follows the waves of jewish and italian immigration that inundated new york in the early years of the century, filling its slums and supplying its garment factories with cheap, mostly female labor. Conditions at the triangle shirtwaist factory 1911. Rosey safran, the washington place fire, april 1911. The triangle shirtwaist fire stuff nobody cares about. For starters, i dont much like crowds never mind that im a new yorker who. See more ideas about triangle shirtwaist factory fire, historical fiction and society problems. Mar 22, 2011 the 100th anniversary of the triangle shirtwaist co. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers 123 women and girls and 23 men who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. The author not only describes what took place on that fateful day, but she also gives the reader plenty of background material about what it was like to be a factory worker in the early 1900s. Remembering the triangle factory fire today marks the 100th anniversary of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which killed 146 people, most of them young women. Triangle shirtwaist factory fire 55 books goodreads. Fire escape of asch building after the triangle fire, new york city, 1911. A fictional recounting of the last survivor of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire of 1911.