Essay On Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire caught the imagination of Progressives and validated their arguments about the American economy. The factory fire broke out in late March and claimed the lives of over one hundred workers. This factory was what seemed like a normal factory in New York City on the outside, but had dangerous and unsanitary working conditions on the inside that remained unknown until the fire broke out. This calamity would help to bring new laws and regulations on factory conditions and rights for their workers. The exposure of these circumstances during the fire led to the attraction of Progressives and confirmed the arguments they were trying to make about the American economy. The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company caught the imagination of many Progressives because

Progressives played a significant role in tending to all of the industrial related issues and this event really opened their eyes to many of the ongoing problems. In a Cornell University article, it was said “This incident has had great significance to this day because it highlights the inhumane working conditions to which industrial workers can be subjected” (Triangle Fire). To many, its horrors epitomize the extremes of industrialism”. During this time, the factory was like any other factory that had workers who were paid bare minimum wages and worked long shifts in unsafe and filthy conditions. It also caught the attention of Progressives because of all the problems immigrants faced because “Many of the Triangle factory workers were women, some as young as 14 years old. They were, for the most