Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: The Second Industrialization In America

The Second Industrialization was a period of rapid industrialization as industries such as oil, steel, and railroads boosted the United States’ status as an industrial nation. At the beginning of this time period, the economy of the U.S. shifted from an agrarian economy to an industrial one. These industries, subsequently, helped provide numerous job opportunities and resulted in more Americans and immigrants moving to urban areas. Regardless, industrialists grew wealthier by exploiting their workers and obtaining a monopoly on everything, government policies included. Thus, this era was condemned for its incessant greed as well as corruption (Texas Education Agency). The Second Industrial Revolution negatively affected the development of the

Workers worked around ten to twelve hours a day in frequently unsafe conditions which would often lead to deadly accidents (Library of Congress). One of the most prolific accidents in the U.S. industry because of unsafe work conditions was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. According to History.com, the factory employed 600 teenage girls who did not speak English to work twelve hours a day, every day. There was only one operable elevator and the fire escape was so narrow that it would have taken hours for all the workers to use it (History.com). The owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, refused to install sprinkler systems and other safety measures, hence making the factory completely unsafe (History.com). Moreover, there were flammable chemicals on the floors with clippings of flammable fabric. Doctor Howard Markel from PBS states, “There were few working bathrooms, faulty ventilation, and outdated heating and cooling systems”. The fire first started in a work bin that contained one hundred twenty layers of flammable fabric (Markel). According to Markel, “The fire soon spread from worktable to worktable, gaining speed, heat, and venom with each passing