In her last years as a nursing home resident she helped to organize the staff. Clara lemlich triangle shirtwaist factory fire memorial. Everywhere clara lemlich went, she preached strike, strike, strike not just for. As rebecca traister writes in her book good and mad, in the fury of women lies the power to change the world. Inspired by historic accounts of the notorious triangle shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, this. Clara could not return to work like many of the other women who had gone on strike. Little did lemlich know that the publics refusal to hear her plea that day would result in the death of 123 young women one of them being her own cousin. Since the fire centered on the top three floors of the building the eighth, ninth and tenth floors the only safe way for sweatshop workers to get out of the building was through the stairs.
The blaze, at the happy land social club in the bronx, killed 87 people, the. Role of women triangle factory fire, history 7 prescott. At that point a 19year old girl named clara lemlich who was sitting in the crowd stood up and began walking. Portrait of clara lemlich, leader of the shirtwaist strike of 19091910 date. The kheel center for labormanagement documentation and archives in the ilr school at cornell university is the catherwood. The directors and officers of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire memorial cordially invite you and your guest to attend our sixteenth annual memorial scholarship fund raiser march 23, 2017 honoring tsffm clara lemlich award winners class of 2017 mary anne trasciatti, ph. Associate professor of rhetoric, hofstra university president, remember the triangle fire coalition. International ladies garment workers union photographs 18851985 repository. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
When lemlichs parents learned that the local public school refused to admit jews, they were so angry at the russian governments antisemitism that they forbade her to speak russian or read russian books. Yet the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york city became the deadliest workplace in american history when fire broke out on the premises on march 25, 1911. Overview, primary sources, survivor interviews, union efforts. Clara lemlich violently beaten striker against the triangle factory. Clara lemlich and the uprising of the 20,000 american experience. There comes a time however when a former factory girl, clara lemlich, encourages the workers to go on strike. She is often mentioned in passing with relation to the triangle shirtwaist factory fire in 1911, a factory where she was not employed. March 25, 1911 on the afternoon of march 25, 1911 a fire broke out in new york city at the triangle shirtwaist factory. Later blacklisted from the industry for her labor union work, she became a member of the communist party usa and a consumer activist. This is the point where most accounts of shavelson leave off.
Years before the triangle fire, garment workers actively sought to improve their working conditionsincluding locked exits in highrise buildingsthat led to the deaths at triangle. See more ideas about triangle shirtwaist factory fire, history and society problems. Although the strike had improved conditions at some factories, it did not result in the widespread reform clara and her fellow workers sought. And so in november of 1909 the triangle shirtwaist company employees go on strike, asking for higher wages and fewer hours. I have a sneaking this is historical fiction about the early life of clara lemlich written in free verse. Clara lemlich years before the triangle fire, garment workers actively sought to improve their working conditionsincluding locked exits in highrise buildingsthat led to the deaths at triangle. Today marks the birthday of clara lemlich, born in 1886 in ukraine to a jewish family. Clara lemlich, a 23yearold ukrainian immigrant, clara lemlich cornell kheel center. Clara lemlich and the uprising of the 20,000 american. Exploring the details related to the triangle fire of 1911, this text looks at the important political and economic roles held. Triangle fire 2nd edition jo ann argersinger macmillan.
Mar 29, 2019 as rebecca traister writes in her book good and mad, in the fury of women lies the power to change the world. Recalls the 1911 tragedy, a fire at the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york city, that killed 146 people and explains how this disaster led to reforms that protected the health and safety of american workers. Workers were either burned to death or died jumping to escape the flames. Clara lemlich public service award triangle shirtwaist. The fire that changed america essayson march 25, 1911 a tragedy hit our nation as never before.
Wings of fire open casting call austin riley green. Exactly 79 years to the day after the triangle shirtwaist factory fire, another tragic fire occurred in new york city. Clara lemlich triangle shirtwaist factory fire memorial, inc. Nineteenyearold clara lemlich was sitting in the crowd listening to the.
And so in november of 1909 the triangle shirtwaist company employees go. On 25 march 1911, disaster struck at the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york. Shepherds eyewitness account, and leon steins book, triangle. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire disasters in history. Following a pogrom in 1903, clara and her family immigrated to the united states. The author successfully brings to life the period before, during, and after the fire. Martha bensley bruere, the triangle fire, may 1911 19. The uprising of the twenty thousands dedicated to the waistmakers of 1909, 1910. Smith was a tammany hall stalwart and, to give credit where it is due, elevating worker safety to the state agenda would have required the approval of the local democratic leader, timothy d. The 1909 strike led to reforms, but the triangle shirtwaist factory was a holdout, and refused to implement safety improvements. Clara lemlich shavelson began working as soon as her family arrived in new york from ukraine in 1907. The story of working women in america, pantheon books. In the central chapters of the book, his vigorous prose projects the reader right into the heart of the fire.
After this point, lemlich becomes incidental to the story and is mentioned later in. The fire that took 146 lives on march 25, 1911 was seen across the country as a tragedy that could have been avoided, and it sparked a movement that pushed politicians to accept a new notion about the. Clara lemlich was not content simply to work while. She didnt 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. This is the best book to read on the subject of the triangle fire, but if you want the real big picture you need to read william g. But for the most part, the public story of clara lemlich shavelson ends when the strike does.
Clara lemlich, life in the shop, november 26, 1909. In fall 1909, as factory owners pressed shirtwaist makers to work longer hours. On march 25, 1911, nearly 150 garment workers died as a result of a fire that consumed the factory. The clara lemlich awards awards honor women who have been working for the larger good their entire lives, in the tradition of those who sparked so many reforms in the aftermath of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire over one hundred years ago. Clara lemlich in late november of 1909 stood up at a rally of shirtwaist workers and called for a general strike, and the movement was carried by acclamation. Life in the shop by clara lemlich cornell triangle fire. At the triangle factory, women had to leave the building to use the bathroom. However, the dangers of not struggling for change were far worse.
The triangle shirtwaist company fire advanced the role of women in american society because it helped to give energy to the progressive movement. Triangle is social history at its best, a magnificent portrayal not only of the catastrophe but also of the time and the turbulent city in which it took place. But clara lemlichs career as a revolutionary and activist began well before that famous speech and extended for more than half a century afterward. The triangle shirtwaist fire presents the story of the tragic march 25, 1911 event through the lens of the labor activism that engulfed new yorks garment industry at the time. One holdout was the triangle shirtwaist factory, where an infamous fire. In 1909 shavelson stood before a crowd of garment workers, announcing in yiddish, i am tired of. Clara lemlichs impassioned yiddish speech set off the 1909 uprising of the 20,000, the largest strike by women workers in the united states to that time. In fall 1909, as factory owners pressed shirtwaist makers to work longer hours for less money, several hundred workers went on strike. Lemlich searched through the armory where the dead had been taken to search for a missing cousin. The triangle fire 5 in 1911 new york city was, prior to the triangle fire, still coming out of the age of sweatshops. The death toll was greatly increased by the lack of fire safety precautions and locked fire escapes. While the men at the factory dont think girls are strong enough to strike, clara. Triangle is a poignantly detailed account of the 1911 disaster that horrified the country and changed the course of twentiethcentury politics and labor relations on march 25, 1911, as workers were getting ready to leave for the day, a fire broke out in the triangle shirtwaist factory in new yorks greenwich village.
I had never heard of clara until leanna told me about her, and im so glad that she was able to take the time to stop by and share a little of her story with us. Clara lemlich was a feminist factory organizer in 1900s new york, probably most famous for organizing strikers after the triangle shirtwaist factory fire that killed 150. Background information is also provided on the important characters surrounding the event from russian woman activist clara lemlich who was beaten during a prefire labor strike to the tammany hall twins robert f. Inspired by historic accounts of the notorious triangle shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, this new. Later blacklisted from the industry for her labor union activism, she became a member of the communist party usa and helped lead consumer boycotts, including an important meat boycott in 1935.
Jul 12, 2012 on 25 march 1911, disaster struck at the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york. She has even appeared in that context in the hit broadway play and movie im not rappaport. Clara lemlich has left an indelible mark on the united states as a notable jewish, female, labor activist. On march 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the triangle shirtwaist factory in new yorks greenwich village. Triangle shirtwaist became a synonym for sweatshop during the following year. Clara lemlich, a 23yearold ukrainian immigrant, rose to a position of power in the womens labor movement, becoming the voice that incited the famous uprising of the. She stood a mere five feet tall, but as brave girl, our book of the day, tells us, she had grit and was going to prove it. After her radical politics got her fired from the wage earners league for woman suffrage, she took her skills to a new community, organizing wives and mothers around issues like housing, food, and public.
Oct 05, 2003 clara lemlich in late november of 1909 stood up at a rally of shirtwaist workers and called for a general strike, and the movement was carried by acclamation. Aug 01, 2018 one holdout was the triangle shirtwaist. Portrait of clara lemlich, leader of the shirtwaist strike of. Just two years later, lemlich helped spark the historic uprising of the 20,000. Mar 22, 2011 this week, as the centennial of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire is commemorated, clara lemlich is being recognized as a leading voice of working women in the early 20th century, a clarion force braided into the history of change that came before and after the fire. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire through the looking. Clara lemlich shavelson is a prime example of that fire, a women who at the age of 23, sparked an entire labor movement. The new york world, the triangle fire, march 27, 1911 12. The new york times, triangle witnesses got increased pay, december 22, 1911.
Kgr 3this picturebook biography of clara lemlich, a spitfire who fought hard. Clara was a leader of the 1909 uprising of the 20,000, the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in new yorks garment industry. The triangle shirtwaist factory fire capstone library. Within minutes it consumed the buildings upper three stories. Triangle fire that claimed the lives of 146 factory workers in march of 1911. Leupp, the shirtwaist makers strike, december 18, 1909 10. Picture books about early 20th century jewish women labor leaders are not exactly published every day in the picture book universe, so i was especially eager to read this new work, illustrated by awardwinning illustrator melissa sweet, about clara lemlich, best known for organizing the shirtwaist makers strike of 1909. Clara lemlich has made cameo appearances in histories of the united states, the labor movement, and american jewry as the young firebrand whose impassioned yiddish speech set off the 1909 uprising of the 20,000, the largest strike by women workers in the united states to that time.
Only one year later, on march 25, 1911, a lack of safety precautions lead to a fire in the triangle shirtwaist factory in new york. At the gotham shirtwaist factory, women worked 11 hours a day, six days a. Casting wings of fire, a workshopstyle staged reading. To commerate the 100th anniversary of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire, scandalous women is pleased to welcome guest blogger leanna renee hieber to talk about clara lemlich. A fire swept through the building, killing 146 workers mostly young jewish and italian women. Clara lemlich, a 23yearold ukrainian immigrant, rose to a position of power in the. It opens with a vivid account of clara lemlich leaving the picket line and being beaten by factoryownerhired thugs. Murphy, the visionary boss of tammany hall, who valued the lives of their. Jan 22, 20 picture books about early 20th century jewish women labor leaders are not exactly published every day in the picture book universe, so i was especially eager to read this new work, illustrated by awardwinning illustrator melissa sweet, about clara lemlich, best known for organizing the shirtwaist makers strike of 1909. And the next day, to the astonishment of new york, 15,000 or 20,000 shirtwaist workers went out on strike. Largely missing from this brief but accurate account is the specific jewish connection to the labor strife. The fire that changed america is a moving and riveting account of the triangle fire of march 25, 1911, the deadliest workplace disaster in new york city for 90 years. Triangle fire, 2nd edition macmillan learning for instructors. Was a leader of the uprising of 20,000, the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in new yorks garment industry in 1909.
It destroyed the lives of 146 workers, the majority of them young immigrant women. Like most girls, she was taught yiddish but had no other jewish schooling. Clara lemlich shavelson led a labor movement dominated by men. Within about 15 minutes the blaze killed 146 workersmost of them immigrant jewish and italian women in their teens and early 20s. Clara lemlich and the uprising of the twenty thousand. Commemorating the 103rd anniversary of the triangle. Clara and the shirtwaist makers strike of 1909 when clara arrived in america, she couldnt speak english.
Clara lemlich shavelson march 28, 1886 july 12, 1982 was a leader of the uprising of 20,000, the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in new yorks garment industry in 1909. This program is cosponsored by labor arts and the remember the. Lemlich, executive board member of local 25, sparked the 1909 walkout of shirtwaist. Clara lemlich, a 23yearold ukrainian immigrant, rose to a position of power in the womens labor movement, becoming the voice that incited the famous uprising of the twenty thousand in 1909. Portrait of clara lemlich, leader of the shirtwaist strike. The kheel center for labormanagement documentation and archives in the ilr school a. Associate professor of rhetoric, hofstra university president, remember the triangle fire. Smith who worked to get reform measures passed after the fire. Associate professor of rhetoric, hofstra university president, remember the triangle fire coalition, inc. This week, as the centennial of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire is commemorated, clara lemlich is being recognized as a leading voice of working women in the early 20th century, a clarion force braided into the history of change that came before and after the fire.
Remembering the triangle factory fire, 100 years later. A fire had broken out in the triangle shirtwaist factory in new yorks greenwich village killing around 123 women and men. Lemlich, executive board member of local 25, sparked the 1909 walkout of. The characters in triangle are in no particular order max blanck and isaac harris max and isaac were the owners of the triangle shirtwaist factory. Shepherds full eye witness account is missing, and it is powerful and should be included in any book on this important subject. The outlook, indictments in the asch fire case, april 22, 1911 21. Triangle fire article clara lemlich and the uprising of the 20,000 this 23yearold ukrainian immigrant was the voice that helped incite the famous 1909 womens labor strike. The fire at the triangle was more than an accident.
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