The Triangle Factory Fire

The Fellowship  |  May 4, 2020

We love bringing you stories from the history of the Jewish people, be they from Bible times or from more recent days. Today’s story is one of tragedy from around the turn of the century, and it’s brought to us by a very young friend of The Fellowship. Maegan Smarkusky is a high school student who won her state championship for National History Day for her presentation about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. This tragedy killed many poor Jewish immigrants, and paved the way for better worker safety for America’s workers. Here’s a bit of Maegan’s online presentation that introduces this historic event:

The 1911 Triangle factory fire was a tragedy that triggered a revolution in labor law. Out of the ashes of this catastrophe arose outrage in thousands of Americans. This outrage led to protests, relief work, awareness of the general public, and labor law changes that would triumph over injustices in the workplace for years to come.

Please feel free to visit the presentation here to learn more details and watch videos about this moment in both American and Jewish history. Great work, Maegan!