Women In The Triangle Shirtwaist Revolution

Starting in 1821 through the mid-30s women all over the country formed organizations and unions to help convince their boss that they needed better pay and working conditions. In 1821 women who worked at a Boston Manufacturing Company went on strike for two days when their wages were cut. In 1824 workers in Pawtucket protested the conditions they were working in. In 1825 female workers in New York created the United Tailoresses who protested in garment factories. After the protests similar strikes and protests started happening in cities all over the United States like Dover, New Hampshire, Lowell,

On March 25, 1911 a disastrous tragedy hit our nation that forced a needed change in the factory industry. In New York’s Greenwich Village a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, one of the most prominent factories around owned by Mr. Isaac Harris and Mr. Max Blanck. Approximately 146 workers, mostly women, died in this fire, making it the most catastrophic fire incident in New York City. Just before this accident, these same women were on strike for the horrible and unsafe conditions they faced in such factories, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory being the most influential reason for the strike. This accident was more than an accident; it was society neglecting to take action in order to provide safer conditions for female factory workers, it was the lack of care in the nation at the time for women and their rights.

In 1834, increased competition with other textile producers led the Lowell mill owners to announce wage cuts to the women that were employed in their mills, but they still expected the women to work 13-hours days, six days a week. The Lowell mill women did not agree with this proposal, so they started a petition and began protesting. The women wanted equal rights and independence, themes that were strong in the American Revolution. They painted the mill owners as being tyrants that wanted to basically reduce the women to economic slavery. Critics of this strike deemed it as being “a radical assault on the rights of the mill owners’ economic freedom and a display of unseemly behavior for women” (Keene, Cornell, O’Donnell

These women worked on the Southern plantations all day without relief. They not only worked in the fields, but also in the house with their masters. Though people thought slavery was a sin, as Mrs. A did, women could not challenge slavery politically because there was a great lack of decorum in women getting involved with politics, thus African American women continued to work for free (Doc. C). Even though this was a setback, women in the workforce pushed forward and strived to become equal. As women continued to chase their equality in the workforce, they petitioned the Massachusetts legislature to try and equal themselves with men (Doc. I). Although women started off slow, working for low wages, they continued to challenge for their equality in the workforce.

For social reform, the Women’s Trade Union League was on the foremost authority, organizing protests and working against prostitution, white slavery, and other social problems that many women faced (15). For political and labor reform, Frances Perkins was on the vanguard of political protests and building regulations. Not only did she get the attention of Tammany Hall, and helped push it to become more progressive, and pass the fifty-four hour law, which took 20 hours off a worker’s week, but she eventually became the first female cabinet member and pushed for Charles Murphy to endorse voting (218). After the Triangle Factory Fire, “she quickly mastered the details of the sprinkler systems, fireproof stairways, fire drills, and more. She knew, in an intellectual way, that New York Factories were extremely vulnerable” which was invaluable in pushing for more building regulations (195). As for economic opportunity, the overall strikes of the women who had been protesting eventually got the attention of the government, and a minimum wage was established in the early 1930’s. Clara Lemlich was one of the leaders of these strikes for pay raises and better factory conditions, and despite being beaten, she led many strikes and became one of the foremost figure in the labor reform movement. She was, “a new sort of

“I would fight God Almighty Himself if He didn't play square with me.” Mary Harris “Mother” Jones said these words to show that she would fight if she wasn’t treated fairly , she would fight for what she believed in . Mother Jones impacted the citizens of the United States because in the 1890’s she became a organizer for the United mine workers, worked with the Knights of Labor, and was a founder of the Social Democratic Party in 1898 . Labor activist Mother Jones was born Mary Harris in 1830 in County Cork, Ireland . Mary and her family fled and moved to Toronto, Canada, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois .

Primarily, Mexican-Americans went on strike for better plumbing and sanitation. Throughout the process, many women protesters were being harassed by strikebreakers and injured. As the document explains, “Local police arrested and harassed the women protesters, sometimes jailing children

Women were the primary victims of being mistreated in the factory work life right next to immigrants and of course people of another color. These women worked long and hard hours, often from the sun up to late at night after the sun went down just to have the money to do buy the basic necessities that their family may need. Women’s incomes were pretty low at the time, which is why they had to work for such a long period of the day. They also had very high expectations as they had to produce with no error for hours in during the day, they were expected to make 3000 stitches per minute or else they would be docked. Working environments were very cramped and the machines were not exactly user-friendly, so it is easy to see why they would want to begin progressive movements. Women began to group up after hours to talk about the complexities that go on around the workplace and sought out a solution to make the owners realize that their opinions do matter. After long talks amongst each other, the women decided to join together in a strike against the unfair treatment and conditions that the Triangle Shirtwaist factory provided them with. They all sat out of the workforce and were directly responsible for the

Seventy-five percent of the workforce was made up of women,9 and most of these women were Mexican. These Mexican women faced extremely harsh treatment while working. The three biggest problems these women had that they wanted to get rid of by unionizing were the “pet” system, when male employees and supervisors would favor women they liked or went out with,10 the piece-rate system, when workers get paid by their work accomplished, not by the hour, and the supervisors, who would constantly watch the women and make sure they were working hard.11 Women particularly hated these three systems, especially since they are discriminatory. Also, the piece-rate system would make it hard to get consistent pay. All of the strenuous work would of course make the workers sore, and soon their workload would slowly start to decrease. Furthermore, it is hard to design the piece-rate system in such a way that women would get about the same amount of money men who are paid by the hour. In addition to discrimination, the jobs were often dangerous, as Julia Luna Mount stated, “After work, my hands were red, swollen, and I was on fire!”12 These working conditions inevitably made the labor force create the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing, and Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA). Most of the members in this

Throughout coal country during the early 1900's you could find the fiery spirited Mother Jones; a union organizer for the United Mine Workers. Mother Jones fought tirelessly to bring together the ‘rank-and-file miners' in order to improve their working conditions, wages, and give them a voice in the workplace. What made Mother Jones the most feared woman in the 1900's was her power of conviction. Her speeches were extremely moving, which called men to action, and if her energy and passion were not enough she would embarrass them, calling their manliness into question. Mother Jones was so moving she was also able to call the mothers and children of the mineworkers to aid in their efforts. She was one of the most successful union organizers

Women’s history in the United States has always been represented as a struggle for rights. Wealth and status were tied to either their fathers or husbands. In the early 1900s, women were afforded the traditional roles of society. The majority of women worked in the home. If they were of the 18% young or poor women, they also worked in factories as laborers, manufacturing items for the booming industrial revolution (U.S. Department of Labor, 1980). During this time period the workplace was not in compliance with current safety standards. There was no minimum wage yet, work conditions were horrible and they worked long hours, “In 1900, the average workweek in manufacturing was 53 hours,” (Fisk, 2003). Women took “pink

At a time when labour unions were gaining in memberships, organization, and bargaining power, women in the workforce made marginal gains during this period considering the booming economy. Sociologically, a healthy economy should in theory provide the framework for change. When citizens have low unemployment and more money in their pockets, time and attention is less directed at bread and butter issues like sustenance and poverty, and aimed at equality and social progress. For women unfortunately, this was not necessarily the case. Their battle with employers was still a struggle between classes than gender parity. Male union leadership would naturally further male worker interests first,8 and this shows a culture of sexism in the workplace that was clearly difficult for working women to overcome. Even union-dues paying women rarely openly questioned their subordination as a sex.9 They were most likely outnumbered and the consequences of being a whistle blower did not want to be entertained. In the mindset of women who worked however, was a developing identity as female wage earners and unionists.10

It was a turning point in women’s activism.” Even though their strike ended, they still got their demands. They were getting acknowledged by getting their demands met. Even though they were not acknowledged in the union the strike changed the way that women were getting paid and their working conditions.

During these years after the Civil War, many Americans struggled. Although the industrial world boomed, so many people were looking for jobs that many did not have any jobs. For the ones that happened to have jobs, the working conditions were so atrocious that sometimes it might not have even been worth it to have a job. As demonstrated in the article titled What Does Labor Want? It explains the concern of many workers. The passage voices the want of a reform from the workers. They say that human beings should be treated just as well as every other person in the world. These workers worked well over 14 hours a day doing very strenuous labor. They pleaded for shorter work days and better treatment of workers. The people also were fearful of the huge up and coming businesses. They did not like the power the companies had over the government and economy. The people knew these businesses had the power to change the prices of all goods to whatever they wanted. Although there were many corrupt things about the working world, one good thing of it all was that women were now able to work. Instead of having to sit at home and be a typical housewife day after day, they were now able to work in some factories and stores. The picture from Document J shows

Women worked in factories that had poor working conditions that were unsafe to workers. Unions, fought for safer and better working conditions for sweatshop workers. It brought the legislation to set factory safety standards and the fire codes. Many children worked for low wages to help at home. Jane Addams was a reformer for woman’s rights, ending child labor in Chicago helped improve life through self-help.