Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)

On March 25, 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist garment factory in New York left 146 workers dead. The fire was put out in a half hour or so. The tragedy, however, proved pivotal in the history of industrial safety, labor politics, and the reform of regulations regarding working conditions throughout the United States.

The Triangle Shirtwaist factory was located at 2329 Washington Place in Greenwich Village, at the corner or Greene Street and Washington Place. The factory occupied the top three floors of the 10-story Asch building, producing a style of inexpensive and popular women's blouses. It was but one of a proliferation of exploitative sweatshops known for low pay, long hours, and poor working conditions common to that era of industrialization.

Beginning in September ...