Triangle Fire History

Even though it has been a while since the Triangle fire, it is still known today as one of the deadliest workplace accidents in the history of New York City. This horrific fire blazed through the floors, starting from the eighth floor, as the frightened workers tried to make their way through and down the building. Most of the people that died from the fire were immigrant women and teenagers. As the fire spread, the owners of the building got word of the fire and gave warning to the workers by phone as they escaped the fire to safety but about 240 of the workers that were working on the higher floors were unaware of the deleterious fire. When word finally got to those that were in the higher floors, fear and panic took over those people. Many …show more content…
It gave the push for women to take a stand and fight for themselves. The disastrous fire brought widespread attention to the dangerous conditions of factories by revealing how unfair the workers were treated and showed that the civil rights of the workers were being violated. The pressure of new reform led to the state implementing over 36 new state laws to regulate fire safety and working conditions in all work areas (Cooper). The Triangle Fire helped to intensify the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. After the fire, Blanck and Harris were indicted for manslaughter but were found not guilty (Colognesi), which caused many unions to become anger. The Union wanted more benefits for women workers and did not appreciate the fact that the case of manslaughter was taken lightly, so it provided its own attention by raising relief funds for families that were affected by the factory fire. The Union tried its best to get better workplace safety regulations by bringing up issues like women’s rights, workers’ rights, workplace safety, and immigrant