15.

Reread the selection from your textbook about Women in Workplace and the Triangle Fire. Then answer the question below.

In the textile mills of New England and the tobacco factories of the South, women formed the majority of workers....

They continued to work long hours for low pay. Many labored under unsafe conditions. Then, a tragic event focused attention on the dangers faced by women workers.

The workday was just ending on a cool March day in 1911, when a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a sweatshop in New York City. Within minutes, the upper stories were ablaze. Hundreds of workers raced for the exits, only to find them locked. The company had locked the doors to keep workers at their jobs....

Nearly 150 people, mostly young women, lost their lives in the Triangle Fire. The deaths shocked the public. As a result, New York and other states approved new safety laws to help protect factory workers.

Describe the working conditions of women in the workplace in the late 1800s. Why do you think the Triangle Fire changed the way people thought about workers' rights? Answer in complete sentences. You may click on the + to use your microphone in your response.

1 answer

In the late 1800s, women worked in textile mills and tobacco factories and were the majority of workers. They worked long hours for low pay and often worked under unsafe conditions. The Triangle Fire changed the way people thought about workers' rights because nearly 150 young women lost their lives due to the company locking the exits to keep workers at their jobs. The tragic event shocked the public and led to the approval of new safety laws to protect factory workers.