The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (American Workers) by Donna Getzinger
In 1911, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a clothing company located in the top floors of a New York high rise. The fire spread fast, and soon the factory's workers, mostly immigrant women, faced death by fire, and their only way out was through the windows, some ten stories off the ground. Through heroic efforts, some were saved. Many were not. The tragedy of the fire resonated throughout all of New York City, alerting people to the horrible conditions of workers. Activists and reformers took the fire as a sign that things must change, and the aftermath of the tragedy changed the face of American industry.