David von Drehle
Grove Press
Reviewed by: Nancy
4 out of 5 stars
Summary
On March 25, 1911, as workers were getting ready to leave for the day, a fire
broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York's Greenwich Village.
Within minutes it spread to consume the building's upper three stories. With
ladders too short for a rescue, firemen had to watch in horror, along with
hundreds on the street, as desperate workers jumped to their deaths. The final
toll was 146 people – 123 of them women. It was the worst industrial disaster
in New York City history until 9/11.
My Review
Triangle:
The Fire That Changed America is a moving and riveting account of
the Triangle fire of March 25, 1911, the deadliest workplace disaster in New
York City for 90 years. It destroyed the
lives of 146 workers, the majority of them young immigrant women.
The author successfully brings to life the period before,
during, and after the fire. He looks at
the social and economic conditions of the time, working conditions in the
garment industry, and the labor movement that women were gradually becoming a
part of. Female garment workers were
dismissed in large numbers for strikes and union activity. With the support of Clara Lemlich, a young
immigrant from Russia, and upper-class allies, the plight of the predominantly
female garment workers became more widely known and was taken more
seriously. Unfortunately, safe working
conditions, long hours, and workers’ compensation were issues that didn’t get
addressed until years after the Triangle Waist Company fire.
Von Drehle includes details about the workers – where they
came from, how they lived, how they worked, and how they died. He looks at court and public records, and
provides a list of the victims who perished.
He also talks about the politics of the time, the Socialist movement,
the corrupt Tammany Hall, the trial of Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, owners of
the factory, and the high-priced attorney who successfully acquitted them of
manslaughter.
This is a fascinating look at life in the early 1900’s, a
moving tribute to those who perished, and a grim reminder that workers’ rights
must be protected, or they will continue to be eroded.
Also posted at Goodreads
