The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory's owners Max Blanck and Isaac Harris previously had four suspicious fires at their companies. The owners were acquitted in court. Also, they received $60,000 in insurance, (about $1,912,000 today) above the awarded damages, $410 per casualty. In civil court the plaintiffs were awarded in compensation $75 per decreased victim for a net "profit" of $335 ($10,750 today) per casualty for *Max Blanck* and *Isaac Harris* .
We've gone from having our clothes made by child labor in New York to having our clothes made by child labor in China! More things change the more they stay the same 😢
Horrifying as this tragedy genuinely was, the activism afterwards literally made a difference. Goes to show you, if you can commit to even just one issue, in any small way that you can, you can help advance a cause + make change happen. That matters 👏
I recently found out that my Great Aunt worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. I don't know if she was working when the fire broke out, but that made it hit home even more than it already did. This video could have doubled as a biography of my mom's family. Thanks, Tom.
I recently took the Gangsters and Ghosts Tour (I highly recommend it) and we stopped in front of the building where the fire took place. The tour guide mentioned that it is part of NYU and they have renovated it over the years. They put in all new wiring, but there is one light that keeps on blinking and we saw it. If Tom did this tour at night you would have seen it. God rest all their souls
Thank you for your this knowledgeable video! I appreciate the time you took to provide more details on this horrible fire which you mentioned in a couple of videos before. My grandmother who is 96 used to work in a toy factory in the 1950's in Queens and this story has me questionning how were the conditions for her and other coworkers. Thank you, again!
@@MySerpentine And ... ? Women more than men tend towards spontaneous combustion ? The majority of seamstresses in New York City 1911 were women ? What ? How about, the commentator should have fact checked their comment (" ... all young women ...") especially since it was mentioned in the video. Amongst the women their ages ranged from 14 to 43. So, now mature women as well as men don't matter ? And, this is what is taught at F.I.T. ? C'mon, ...
@@MySerpentine You're confused. You're substituting your projected bais with my correction of the commentator's false statement of they were "all young women". The women and adolescent ages ranged from 14 to 42. And, 23 of the victims were males. The unfortunate victims were neither *all* young or women. Not making a statement about gender politics, just stating what was reported.
Great video and you always do a great job of informing us, since I knew about the garment district fire, but not the details. It seems like a tragedy is what it takes to better the lives of the rest of us.
This story is incredibly sad. What a tragedy! On a lighter note >>> As you were staring at the "Want to be Happy" sign you may not have noticed that you would be perfect for the Fortuna short horror film based on your wild facial expressions and antics as you posed next to it. lol 🧚♀
Love Tom's videos of various NYC neighborhoods Have a random question: what's the best book to read about new York city in the 1970s, when the city had its, probably, worst period in history. Of course, apart from: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, actually recommended in the Roosevelt island video?? Thanks
Excellent episode. Nice balance of knowledge and shtick especially considering the dark history. I think I've read the side door was locked so the workers couldn't meet with union organisers.
I seem to recall watching a movie on dvd years ago about this tragic event. It's my understanding that it was a critically-acclaimed television movie from the '70s.
Interestingly, 1910 New York enacts a worker's compensation law. 1911 On Friday *March 24* , New York's law is found unconstitutional by the New York Court of Appeals. 1911 On Saturday *March 25* , the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire occurs.
Im confused --- are you saying this was the site of the original bldg -- or this IS the actual building where the fire happened? I'm thinking the former but I can't really tell by how you are telling it. Thanks. Coming to NYC soon and want to visit the location. Update -- NVM the plaque at 8:32 explains.
all gains in working conditions have been lost and the union was crushed by the corporations the corporations sent the jobs overseas. workers are back to slave wages over crowding with little concern for safety
Hey - ya know what'd be a great idea? Head on down the street to the corner of Greenwich & Fulton and do a sarcastic clown show redaction of 9-11; yeah, it's got the same hilarious account of people burning alive and falling out of the building, and a don't forget the cast of characters that absolved themselves of any responsibility - not that they paid off any jurors b/c there's NEVER been a trial - but the appointed judge to oversee the 'payouts' had some hysterically coincidental connections - and the belly buster is how the owners of the Triangle Shirt bldg and the owner of the WTC made clean bank on the bodies. The whole story is made for a stand-up routine and you.
Sorry tomdnyc, I already covered the triangle shirtwaist factory fire 🔥I beat you to it (just kidding, I’m fascinated by this story. Great job as always)
1:31 unfortunate choice of graphics for a dicussion of the Triangle Fire considering accounts of the fire describe women's hair would "smoulder" before igniting into flame from the intense heat.
Yeah the old get a bunch of immigrants give them gifts food and housing and stuff and you have their votes Democratic party just got to 11 million of them😮
Super knowledgeable and aware of history. Toms pointing out the exploitation of the working class & their struggles is amazing and sadly unusual for an American. Remember - starve to win or starve anyhow 🫡🤑
