Women's History Month Highlight
New York City's Shirtwaist Workers Strike
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| Explore an on-line exhibit of the Triangle Factory Fire presented by the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives at Cornell University. |
On Saturday, March 25, 1911, a fire broke out on the top floors of the Triangle shirtwaist factory. Firemen arrived at the scene, but their ladders weren't tall enough to reach the upper floors of the 10-story building, so workers trapped inside jumped to their deaths. In a half hour, the fire was over, and 146 of the 500 workers -- mostly young women -- were dead.
Many of us have read about the tragic Triangle fire in school textbooks. But the fire alone wasn't what made the shirtwaist makers such a focal point for worker safety. In fact, workplace deaths weren't uncommon then. It is estimated that over 100 workers died every day on the job around 1911.
The shirtwaist makers' story was so compelling because of the events leading up to the fire. After the fire, their story inspired hundreds of activists across the state and the nation to push for fundamental reforms. For some, like Frances Perkins, who stood helpless watching the factory burn, the tragedy inspired a lifetime of advocacy for workers' rights. She later became Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
To continue reading about the history of the shirtwaist workers' strike, click here.
To view photos about the Triangle fire, click here.
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