Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was a 1911 New York City garment-factory fire that killed 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, and accelerated workplace-safety reforms.

Asch Building: A ten-story Manhattan building that housed the Triangle Waist Company on its eighth, ninth, and tenth floors. The fire spread through the Triangle factory floors inside this building.
New York State Factory Investigating Commission: A state commission created in 1911 to investigate factory conditions and recommend reforms in New York. Its investigations after the fire documented hazards and informed new laws.
Max Blanck: A garment manufacturer who co-owned the Triangle Waist Company with Isaac Harris. Blanck faced criminal charges after the fire but was acquitted.
People v. Harris and Blanck: The 1911–1912 manslaughter prosecution of Triangle Waist Company owners Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. The acquittal exposed the difficulty of holding factory owners criminally responsible.
Cocoanut Grove fire: A 1942 Boston nightclub fire that killed 492 people and prompted changes to fire-safety practices. Unlike the factory fire, it occurred in a crowded entertainment venue decades later.
Fire escape: An exterior stairway or ladder intended to provide a route out of a building during a fire. The factory’s fire escape collapsed under workers fleeing the flames.
New York State labor legislation: State laws regulating employment conditions, including workplace safety, hours, and wages. The fire helped spur a wave of New York workplace-safety laws.
Isaac Harris: A garment manufacturer who co-owned the Triangle Waist Company with Max Blanck. Harris was tried with Blanck over workers’ deaths and acquitted.
Triangle fire memorial march: A 1911 procession in New York City honoring the workers killed in the Triangle fire. The large public march made mourning visible as a demand for reform.
Our Lady of the Angels School fire: A 1958 Chicago school fire that killed 92 children and three nuns. Its impact on building codes offers a later comparison in fire-driven reform.

Linked from 6 pages