Uprising

Just over a hundred years ago, on March 25, 1911, 146 workers were tragically killed in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. It was the deadliest industrial accident in New York City's history.

I am a Margaret Peterson Haddix fan, mostly for her science fiction and fantasy books, and I am so glad that her editor suggested she write a book about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. At the time, there weren't any books for young readers written on that tragedy, even though many important laws were passed because of it.

Here is the review I wrote on Goodreads when I read it in 2009:

"In the early 1900s the factories in New York City were booming and immigrants from all over the world were streaming in. Yetta is a Jewish girl from Russia who is passionate about fighting for better working conditions at the shirtwaist factory, Bella has immigrated from Italy and is working to send money home to her starving family, and Jane leaves her wealthy family to find her own way. These girls came alive, as did their stories, and I cared deeply about them. Though this story doesn't have a 'happily ever after"' ending, it left an indelible mark on me."

Here are some photos from that time:

An Italian woman is taking home a bundle of cloth for her family to sew:

Inside the factory:

Some of the women who lobbied for changes:

The firemen weren't able to effectively fight the fire:

The factory in ruins:

The often unrecognizable remains of the women who perished:

In April of 1911, the citizens of New York City joined together to mourn:

American Experience has a great 50-minute video that you can watch [here].

Jeeves heard Gay Ducey tell the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire at the Orem Library three years ago and felt that it was well worth your time.

I thought it was very good, as well.

If you want to learn more, Cornell University has a website dedicated to remembering the fire and its victims. You can find it [here].

This new picture book will be available on January 22, 2013.

When Clara Lemlich arrived in America, she couldn't speak English. She didn't know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast. But that did not stop Clara. She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a factory. Clara never quit. And she never accepted that girls should be treated poorly and paid little. So Clara fought back. Fed up with the mistreatment of her fellow laborers, Clara led the largest walkout of women workers in the country's history. Clara had learned a lot from her short time in America. She learned that everyone deserved a fair chance. That you had to stand together and fight for what you wanted. And, most importantly, that you could do anything you put your mind to.

Unfortunately, industrial fires did not end with the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. In November 2012, there was a factory fire in Bangladesh that killed at least 112 people.

 ABC News Report about the Bangladesh fire  is available [here]

It's scary how little is learned from the past.