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It's Showtime! ... Or Is It?

Labor unions point to the Triangle Waist Company fire as an example of how U.S. workers’ conditions have changed since unions began fighting for their rights. The fire broke out on March 25, 1911, on the New York City shirt-making factory’s top floors. The exits had been locked to prevent theft, and some people jumped from as high as the ninth floor to try to escape the flames. In all, 146 people died—nearly a quarter of the factory’s employees. Most of the victims were in their teens and 20s. Have students read about the fire at www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire. The site includes several first-person accounts of the fire and of the working conditions. Click on “Documents” and “Audio” to find them. Have students read Pauline Newman’s letter (under Documents). As a class, discuss the importance of first-person accounts in documenting historic events. Have students interview someone who experienced a historic event first-hand and write up the interview in question and answer format. Students can submit their stories to Current Events’ Eyewitness to History contest.