Reread the selection from your textbook about Women in Workplace and the Triangle Fire. Then answer the question that follows in complete sentences.
In the textile mills of New England and the tobacco factories of the South, women formed the majority of workers.... They continued to work long hours for low pay. Many labored under unsafe conditions. Then, a tragic event focused attention on the dangers faced by women workers.
The workday was just ending on a cool March day in 1911, when a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a sweatshop in New York City. Within minutes, the upper stories were ablaze. Hundreds of workers raced for the exits, only to find them locked. The company had locked the doors to keep workers at their jobs....
Nearly 150 people, mostly young women, lost their lives in the Triangle Fire. The deaths shocked the public. As a result, New York and other states approved new safety laws to help protect factory workers.
Describe the working conditions of women in the workplace in the late 1800s. Why do you think the Triangle Fire changed the way people thought about workers' rights?
(4 points)
In the late 1800s, women in the workplace faced long hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions. They were often subjected to harsh working conditions in industries such as textile mills and tobacco factories, where they made up the majority of workers. Many women worked long hours for little pay and in dangerous environments.
The Triangle Fire changed the way people thought about workers' rights because it brought attention to the extreme dangers that workers, especially women, faced in the workplace. The tragic event highlighted the egregious working conditions that many workers were subjected to, such as locked doors and inadequate safety measures. The fact that so many young women lost their lives in the fire shocked the public and sparked outrage, leading to increased awareness and calls for improved safety regulations and protections for workers. The Triangle Fire became a turning point in the fight for workers' rights and played a significant role in pushing for new safety laws to be approved in New York and other states.