How has the treatment of women in the garment industry changed since the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire?
Although the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire opened up opportunities of improvement for the equal treatment of women in the workplace, women today are still struggling to fight for their voices to be heard in the garment industry.
After the Reconstruction, the United States jumped into a period of reformation that pushed America towards a better society. Once the corruption and dire state of America became exposed, reforms were created in all aspects of life: education, workforce, social life, politics, family, and economics. One of the significant events during the Progressive Era was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire which spurred the people to prevent similar circumstances from happening again. The Triangle fire was one of the most tragic events in history. Flames and smoke spewed out of the building and women threw themselves off the ninth floor. Building up to to the fire, strikes in regards to the garment industry were organized. In result, higher-ups in the government saw the need for the implementation of safety standards in order to protect the workers with the majority of them being Russian, Italian, and Jewish immigrants. An important individual who positively influenced the Progressive Era was Francis Perkins due to her contribution to the Social Security Act. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire ignited the idea of safety enforcement and fair wages which spread into other industries and third-world countries. The Triangle tragedy helped to spark interest among manufacturers and safety regulators in improving the future workforce.