Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

In the early 1900s, many immigrants came to America seeking a better life. They worked long hours in factories and lived in crowded tenements. One of these factories was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was a clothing factory that made women's blouses, or shirtwaists. The workers were mostly young women, many of them recent immigrants. They worked long hours in unsafe conditions, and they were paid very little.

On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The factory was on the eighth floor of a ten-story building, and the fire started on the eighth floor. The workers tried to escape, but the factory's doors were locked to prevent theft, so the workers were trapped inside.

The fire spread quickly, and the workers had no way to escape. Some workers tried to jump out of the windows to escape the flames, but they fell to their deaths. Others were burned alive.

The fire department arrived quickly, but they could not save everyone. In the end, 146 people died in the fire, most of them young women.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was a tragedy that shocked the nation. It led to changes in workplace safety laws and workers' rights. It also led to the creation of unions, which helped workers to fight for better pay and safer working conditions.

Read More About It!

If you want to learn more about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and how it changed modern American, check this out!

• Triangle Factory Fire Archive: This site from Cornell University is a definitive look at the fire and its impact.

• Uncovering the History of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: This article tells the story of a 21st century historian who wrote a book about the fire. It's a fascinating look into the work of being a historian.

• The Brown Building - A National Historic Landmark: The building where the fire took place is still standing (it's now a classroom building used by NYU).

• National Museum of American History: Learn about the fire through exhibits in the National Museum of American History.