Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Near closing time on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, in New York City a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. This came to be one of the worst fire incidents in American History; it was know as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. It was a disaster that took the lives of 146 young immigrant workers. It was a fire that broke out in a cramped sweatshop that trapped many inside and killed 146 people.

This tragedy pointed out the negatives of sweatshop conditions of the industrialization era. It emphasized the worst part of its times: the low wages, long hours, and unsanitary working conditions symbolized what sweatshops were all about. These conditions were appalling, and no person should ever be made to work in these conditions.

Before this tragedy occurred the suffering of the workers was very evident. Take for instance this first hand account by Sadie