THE TRIANGLE FIRE

On March 25, 1911 a big fire was started at the Triangle Company. It led to the deaths of 146 people. Most of these were mainly Jewish women who had immigrated to New York in search for better working conditions. When the fire began, some workers were trapped in the 8th, 9th and 10th floors. Most of these people who were trapped eventually succumbed to asphyxiation and fire. Those who could not stand the heat opted to jump and died on hitting the ground. Immediately after the triangle fire, people saw a necessity for the management of working conditions. Working conditions often were inhuman and careless. The triangle fire resulted in 146 deaths which made everyone aware of the magnitude of the problem. This event lead to so much activity that was focused to seeing improved working conditions. This paper seeks to identify the many forms in which the Triangle fire served to improve the future working conditions of the people.

The fire initiated many demonstrations and series of activism. Many men and women joined hands and joined hands and pushed for better working conditions. The weight of their actions was enormous based on the fact that there was support from the leaders of the society. The number of participants in these drives also caused panic and authorities feared that there would be a rise in the level of activism which would lead to a drop in the economy.

On June 30, 1911, the governor signed a legislation that ended in the establishment of the Factory Investigating Commission (Argersinger 123). This organization was responsible for the investigation of factory working conditions in factories. In later years, it would come to arrest other company owners and charge them over poor working conditions. This group visited and inspected various companies and found most of them unsafe and wanting. They immediately saw a need to implement laws to govern these laws.

The Factory Investigating Commission set to work immediately. On 1913, they presented several factory safety reforms which were adopted into law in the state. Immediately after, other states began implementing laws to govern safety regulations at work places (Argersinger 123). According to certain claims, the Triangle Company used pails of water as a safety measure to put out fires (Argersinger 27). Moreover, they used to close exit doors to prevent workers from escaping to rest during work hours. Upon legislation, proper safety measures were put up to ensure that such accidents would never happen again.

Red Cross and other organizations also joined hands and started collecting funds for the affected victims and their families. They collected over $100000 and then terminated the initiative terming further funding as unnecessary. The families were then supported to ensure they went back on their feet, ensuring that they did not become dependent on such funding (Argersinger 91). A big percentage of the money was accounted for as having been given to the victims for stability.

Amid lobbying and activism, the state of New York passed numerous laws that provided guidelines for industrial work. The legislation were to be later used by other states to guide them in writing their own industrial laws. Among these legislations were those that dealt with the requirements for proper fire exits, fire drills and strict regulations against closing factory doors. There were also regulations for lighting, ventilations, and sanitation to protect workers from harm.

A fire prevention bureau was also established and reorganized the labor department, building a stronger more effective body to fight for better working conditions for workers. The hours of working were limited to protect the rights of women and children. Certain occupations were also restricted in this regard. These laws led to growth and development in the economy of New York amid complaints by business owners.

On top of that, women got into politics through the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party was responsible for the reforms as they participated in lobbying and a helped to push for new legislations to be passed as laws. The status of women in the nation was anlarged and became cemented in the highest places of the society. The protection of women in industrial work stopped being only about the women but also about the entire nation. The whole state came together and tried to make things better for the entire society.

The laws were also revised to include more employer responsibility. These laws challenged the concept of accidents focusing primarily on the Triangle tragedy and using it as a learning experience. The employers would now be held responsible for the lives that were lost during work hours due to the laxity of the employer.

Women leant about their rights and became more vigilant in their fight for human rights and participated more in acts of activism, riots, and picketing. The woman of today started her creation from the day of Triangle fire. Without the triangle fire or a similar fire, women would have continued to experience pressure from their bosses without doing anything about it.

The battle of those who were being oppressed by their employers also stopped being a battle for the immigrants. Immigrants had been observed with scorn before the tragedy. When the tragedy struck, the entire country stood up and wanted to fight for the rights of factory workers. Again, the battle was not just a battle for factory workers. It was also a battle for every other worker in the country. Those who resisted the force of the movements went down with the movement. The tragedy brought about a new beginning not just for the oppressed but also for every other American.

The Triangle tragedy also served to solidify the unions and make them stronger. The trade unions that were separate opted to join hands and fight together and yield a bigger fight against those who were oppressing them. International ladies Garment Workers Union joined hands with Women’s trade union league to fight for women workers. They fought for all workers to be allowed to join unions. They argued that unions would protect workers from poor working conditions (Argersinger 123).

In conclusion, the Triangle fire is the fire that changed America. It changed America in more ways than one. First, the whole nation saw a need for the country to implement laws that governed the working conditions of every worker. Women were elected to positions that helped them stand for the rights of other women in various industries. The changes did not happen in New York alone. Other states took caution and followed through the footsteps of New York. The fire that burnt the Triangle Company, therefore, changed not only New York in a big way, but also other states.

Works Cited

Argersinger, Jo A. The Triangle Fire: A Brief History with Documents. Boston, NY: Bedford/st Martins, 2009. Print.