During the Progressive Era (1890’s - 1920’s) there were political reforms and social activism in the United States of America. These acts of social activism and political reformation were to fix issues in urban areas, fix issues in the garment industry, and to make a changes so tragedies (like the Triangle Fire) don’t happen again. The triangle fire serves as a microcosm for the progressive era because they both needed reformation but action was not taken until things became extreme. Right before the Progressive era, America was full of living condition issues, political leader problems, and issues among the people. A serious urban issue included “Laws regulating factories were worthless if not enforced, a truth horribly demonstrated a …show more content…
The fire raged to high in the building for the fire department’s ladders to reach it. With workroom doors illegally locked by the employers, the workers, mostly young women, were trapped.” This horrible event proved fatal when “Some fled the flames by throwing themselves out windows. Others burned. When it was over, 146 had died”. The emergency response was ineffective because “Others waited at the windows for the rescue workers only to discover that the firefighters' ladders were several stories too short and the water from the hoses could not reach the top floors”. Because of the poorly enforced law of doors must be unlocked in the workplace, many died. Americans knew this carelessness should never happen again; therefore, people wanted change. During the trial of the Triangle Fire a witness Samuel Bernstein said, “I was the last one there and I seen the flames was coming up through the roof on the Greene St. and uptown side. And nobody was there anymore to push me up so I ran across the roof all the way to the Washington Place side where the university is and they pushed me up a step ladder and when I got to the top the step ladder, I looked down and saw 5 or 6 girls falling from the windows”. Knowing this horrible event was preventable, many wanted change, so many marched at the memorial parade and the American Federation of Labor was