Dave Von Drehle, Triangle: The Fire that Changed America

 

When I borrowed this book, I expected it to be just about the fire of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York in 1911.  However, the story provided a lot of background on the conditions that led up to this horrible tragedy, as well as what occurred after the fire in the way of safety regulations in New York City.  The author covers the first garment workers unions and the strikes that the women initiated, reviews the corruption of city government, and the working conditions at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company (and other factories).  The fire is covered in the middle of the book, and the author makes it personal by including family stories on some of the people who died.  He focuses on all the problems in the building that made it so tragic – escape ladders to nowhere, no fire warning signals, no sprinklers, locked stairway doors, not enough elevators.  For those family history researchers out there, this is great background information if you had ancestors that lived in New York City during this time, or worked in a shirtwaist factory.  I found this book interesting and educational, and recommend it to those who want to learn more.