Stonewall Jackson (@1776Stonewall)

History Nugget, 1911 - The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: At approximately 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, 1911, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, a fire started at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. It remains one of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history, resulting in the deaths of 146 garment workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish immigrant women. The tragedy became a pivotal turning point for American labor laws and workplace safety. The fire began late in the afternoon on the 8th floor of the Asch Building, likely caused by a discarded cigarette or match in a scrap bin. The factory was filled with combustible fabric scraps and "shirtwaists" (women's blouses), allowing the flames to engulf the top three floors in under 20 minutes. To prevent theft and unauthorized breaks, management had locked many of the exit doors to the stairwells. The building's single fire escape collapsed under the weight of fleeing workers, and fire department ladders could only reach the 6th floor, while the fire raged on the 8th, 9th, and 10th. Of the 146 who died, 123 were women and girls, some as young as 14. Many died from smoke inhalation or by jumping from windows to escape the flames. Owners Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were tried for manslaughter but acquitted. They eventually received more in insurance payouts than they paid out in civil suits to the victims' families. The public outcry led to the creation of the Factory Investigating Commission. This resulted in over 30 new laws in New York mandating fire extinguishers, alarm systems, better exits, and limited working hours. The tragedy galvanized the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) and other labor groups to fight for better working conditions. Frances Perkins, who witnessed the fire from the street, later became the U.S. Secretary of Labor and championed major workplace protections as part of the New Deal. Two 14-year-old girls, Kate Leone and Rosarea Maltese, were the youngest to perish. The identities of the final six "unknown" victims were not confirmed until 100 years later, in 2011.