"The Triangle Fire" documentary pulls together many of the strands of the Progressive Era: social divisions, demands for women's rights, demands for unionization, calls for government intervention and, of course, the deplorable working conditions that many women and men had to suffer at the workplace during this period. Killing 146 people, mostly young immigrant women, the fire first and foremost was a tragedy, but it brings up many questions. In what ways would unionization of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company garment workers prior to the fire have been able to decrease the chances of this happening? In what ways could government intervene? Think about those questions, then think about what was possible during the time period. What stood in the way of unionization and government intervention at the time? Finally, put yourself in the position of a reformer, what reforms would you make to prevent something like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire from happening again?

"The Triangle Fire" documentary pulls together many of the strands of the Progressive Era: social divisions, demands for women's rights, demands for unionization, calls for government intervention and, of course, the deplorable working conditions that many women and men had to suffer at the workplace during this period. Killing 146 people, mostly young immigrant women, the fire first and foremost was a tragedy, but it brings up many questions. In what ways would unionization of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company garment workers prior to the fire have been able to decrease the chances of this happening? In what ways could government intervene? Think about those questions, then think about what was possible during the time period. What stood in the way of unionization and government intervention at the time? Finally, put yourself in the position of a reformer, what reforms would you make to prevent something like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire from happening again?