The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - Horror in Manhattan - Extra History

📜 The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, American History: A throwaway cigarette landed on a pile of cloth. 146 workers died from the resulting fire. But this tragedy motivated citizens and politicians to take a stand for workers' rights, creating a far safer world that we still live in over a century later.
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#ExtraHistory #AmericanHistory #History

[@extrahistory]

On March 25, 1911, tragedy struck an ordinary factory in an ordinary neighborhood. Today, our workplaces in the United States are safer and better, because of ordinary people back then who took a stand for workers' rights. Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/extracredits

[@brock6856]

Great video!

[@jonathansiles5120]

Amaizing work!! You are one of the best history channels if not the best.

[@guyinreallife6035]

it kinda sucks that its within your 100 year cut-off, but this would have made a great 2-parter with the Radium Girls, since we owe the other 1/2 of workers safety to them

[@evannationarmy7769]

Was the announcement from yesterday for this video

[@robertjarman3703]

Extra Credits Single transferable vote was also crucial to the defeat of political machines at the time, repealed during cold war communist paranoia. And people wonder why anarchists and socialists were so powerful at the time and why capitalism was truly seen as tyrannical and like slavery.

[@Milquetoastfireball]

Fun fact about Clara Lemlich: She spent the last days of her life attempting to unionize the staff of her nursing home. That woman had no off-switch.

[@jiminbang5822]

Don't stop till you drop... Literally.

[@shelleymcrae514]

Yep sounds about right

[@zEr-ne5ri]

@Jimin Bang dude............. uncool.

[@mariellletomtom2235]

what is that supposed to mean

[@enterndin]

Hahahaha

[@TensileStrength]

Even with 9/11, there were thousands who survived because regulations like these made it easy for them to evacuate the towers before they fell.

[@Msoulwing]

@PM 3736 While they're probably wrong, I don't think they're talking about health and safety regulations...

[@geraldgrenier8132]

@Msoulwing alas they include health and safety regurgitation in the list, such as the Employer should have the right to dieside wither or not their empoyeis are forced the enduace the toxic effect of second hand smoke in the work place

[@travvytacos]

And after 9/11 even more regulations were put on highrise tower design to prevent that from happening, such as required fireproofing of floor-to-floor structure and necessary smoke ventilation in fire escapes.

[@craxusalby9751]

The tragedy of 9/11 also. brought us the patriot act, eternal war with middle eastern countries and other various destructions of civil liberties like spying, asset forfeiture etc.

[@geraldgrenier8132]

asset forfeiture wasn't a 9/11 issue, that from the Drug war.

[@corinne6695]

I love how you start talking about these independent Jewish women who were finally finding freedom and work in America, then cut to “In 30 minutes, 146 of them will be dead” Feel good video of the century

[@proto303]

TRULY A VICTORY FOR THE FORCES OF *IN*JUSTICE!

[@blueberry1vom1t]

There are two methods to teaching someone something dangerous. You either tell them, or you have them experience it. The emotional gut punch is a far stronger method to teach tragedy.

[@EvilPaladin11]

"Feel good video of the century" made me laugh way more than it should.

[@gdawg1585]

Most of them were Jewish,Italian immigrant women.

[@cyberzenASMR]

kinda messed up to be critical about something seeming tragic when the reality, that event was tragic

[@isaacthek]

Frances Perkins was also, critically, responsible for helping draft the Social Security Act. She's an unsung hero.

[@baranix3384]

I watched a documentary regarding this incident and other similar factory fire tragedies a long time ago. Those who jumped off the building from the fire weren't necessarily trying to survive. They just wanted to end it quicker. Some reports state they might have wanted to make sure their loved ones could still identify their bodies rather than being burned beyond recognition. I felt sick. Imagine the despair in order to make that decision.

[@Roxor128]

The way I see it, you've got the choice of certain death from the fire or 95% chance of dying from the fall. Might as well go for the one that actually gives you a chance at survival, however small.

[@theresahall8206]

The firefighters might want to check the equipment. Because everyone they tried to catch in the nets went right through the nets.

[@rosemkande3307]

Damn

[@rosemkande3307]

SON

[@rosemkande3307]

Shit

[@TheoStimac]

"Every regulation is written in blood" is a powerful and universal truth.

[@jewperbro]

its true people had to fight for the right to protect themselves from oppressors 2nd amendment cough...

[@anjetto1]

@@jewperbro feel free to shoot at bad healthcare, bad food, polluted water, bad schools and wealth inequality. No amount of guns will fix those.

[@bearcatben4762]

@@anjetto1 Unless you use guns to take resources to fix your own

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@bearcatben4762 time to shoot the corrupt politicians, eh?

[@bearcatben4762]

​@@GiordanDiodato *something something* for the greater good *something something* what would Stalin do

[@Sobepome]

There's a lot to this story that really speaks to the time, and there's a whole bunch you probably had to cut down for time. One part of it is the lawyer for Harris and Blanck, Max Steuer, who was one of those lawyers everyone knew and feared at the time. One of the big reasons they got off the charges was because the witness the prosecution used didn't speak english very well (because she was an immigrant) and the DA thought that Steuer wouldn't press her too hard for fear of looking like a bully going after a young girl. Steuer's response was to instead ask the witness, Kate Alterman, to repeat her story again, and then again, and then again. The coaching she had gone through because of her poor english sounded more like she had been coached with a false story due to the repetition of specific phrases, which threw just enough doubt on the eyewitness testimony that there was no preponderance of evidence and the jury acquitted. He managed to tear down her story while doing nothing more than calmly and politely asking for clarification and repetition of the testimony. After the verdict, one of the jurors made a statement about why: "I believed that the door was locked at the time of the fire, but we couldn't find them guilty unless we believed they knew the door was locked." It's not important to the overall story of the historical importance of the labor movement, but it is a nice little keyhole insight into how the justice system works and how sometimes those cases you think are slam dunks turn out to not be the case. Also, I hope that it might help some people realize that as good as these videos are, you should use them as a springboard to do further research on your own. History is not a series of events. It's a weave of millions of things converging, and there will always be more to learn about an event than you think there is. It's always worth taking the extra time to dig more into something, you'll be amazed at what you can learn.

[@Hraefncin]

Amen! Every story is a simplified version what really happened, meaning that there’s always more to know: our job, as students of history, is to re-examine, again and again, and to reconsider, keep researching and always, always keep learning more!

[@Nisfornarwhal1990]

I would like to know is how the jury could use that line of thinking. If the doors were unlocked, would some of the victims have not escaped? Which people giving testimony managed to escape despite being in a room with locked doors? Perhaps tragedies are a requirement for reform, as dark as it sounds. Back in the day, it sounds like the only thing they could have prosecuted those workers on was locking the doors, because I imagine that would be more like a hostage situation as opposed to a work situation.

[@kcocozza]

Sobepome Wow

[@andrewmelnikov292]

In other words, it's always useful to look for... extra credits. *ba dum tss*

[@maverick62990]

its sad that tragedy is what sparks this kind of reform. but i'm glad the reform happens and quality of life improves

[@fist-of-doom487]

Ever heard of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” tragedy let’s people know that it is absolutely broken. If it isn’t hurting anyone why change? All this brought to light just how messed up the system actually was and it needed change

[@vkaivos]

Sometimes a tragedy is needed to have the best future

[@pieterfischer9638]

That said, often we overlook how things do hurt people. And only respond when death has taken place. For example, the children being forced to work till they pass out.

[@Antenox]

Unfortunately, tragedy doesn’t always motivate the change that it should. * peers at current day news *

[@craxusalby9751]

Antenox Outrage can lead to hasty and irrational decisions that can cause more harm than they fix. In the case of this video I actually agree, but this can't be applied to every "issue "

[@anttibjorklund1869]

Frances Perkins? *The* Frances Perkins? The first woman to serve in the US cabinet? Now there's a person I'm sure could make an interesting EH series.

[@DonSMDT]

I'd prefer a one-shot on Jeannette Rankin myself, who famously voted against starting WWII, the only person in congress to do so, and also the first woman to serve in the US Congress.

[@skysthelimitvideos]

Yes

[@petlahk4119]

They should totally do Frances Perkins and other modern figures. :)

[@Selrahcthewise]

In what position in the cabinet did she serve?

[@angelaphsiao]

Both is good

[@atruv2089]

"in 30 minutes, a hundred and fourty six of them will be dead" HOLY SHI- That beginning though!

[@caspramio]

don't remember me that one, I cried for the rest of that day.... and now I have a special sensibility when talking about WWI

[@AngelDame17]

Fires move that fast my friend. that's why a Fire Drill is smart because it reinforces What you should do in a fire.

[@caspramio]

AngelDame17 remember that this historical event is what motivated to implememt fire drills, before that event nothing of that existed or were really precarius

[@dndboy13]

then right after *cheery intro tune*

[@extrahistory]

Fun fact: Rob wrote this script back in October. It's great that you folks are out here drawing conclusions on your own about what this could mean for modern-day issues. History has a great way of making us think about the present. --Belinda

[@astonwilson8410]

Yep, I feel like the lessons history teaches are always relevant. There're always big problems in society that need to be changed, and always some who stand in the way for self interest.

[@chicknorton8839]

I know this is off topic and kind of understates the subject at hand, but I for some reason cannot get over the fact that you

[@connormclernon26]

Extra Credits my roommate told me that factory conditions still aren’t pleasant. He had a friend who was forced to work 12 hour days and couldn’t take a lunch break or he’d get fired. He also mentioned that the factory bosses were able to flaunt OSHA because they knew they provided jobs for that community, and threatened to go to China if they ever protested

[@Isaaclichtenstein]

This kind of stuff will always be relevant. It was in October and it is now.

[@Zergplex]

@Chick Norton I've seen this before with them, and I believe the answer is that more then one Extra Credits member uses the account, and they will like the posts made by other members. Hence why they often end a comment with the name of the person posting.

[@nemo7112]

lunchclub: lost in LA schlatt rlly loves this in that vod

[@ayvacampbell8355]

the videos where he goes on about it is the only reason i clicked on this video when it popped up in my recommended

[@lapeez2277]

schlatt was the factory owner.

[@theone9860]

The door was L O C K E D

[@fionnanlynch4566]

Door. Locked

[@amuregasenaji2869]

I like how history hinges on such small details like the one worker who was careless enough to toss a cigarette (IN A CLOTHING FACTORY!!! What an idiot.) Reminds of the London fire of 1666 where a baker left an oven open next to dry wheat flour.

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

Eventually some other disaster probably would have prompted the same laws considering how horrible the safety was. But this seemed to happen very fast due to the fame and outrage.

[@amuregasenaji2869]

Sara Samaletdin That's true. Although the fire that happened earlier which Frances Perkins was looking at should've signalled that something is wrong with the health and safety regulations at the time. In Swahili( I'm from Kenya) we have a saying that goes, "Usipoziba ufa utajenga ukuta" which basically says that if you don't fix a seemingly small problem then eventually you'll have to fix a much larger one.

[@Cdre_Satori]

I once heard an african (so probably not from africa) proverb that said if you do not deal with cubs, you will have to deal with lions.

[@525Lines]

That terrible school fire in Chicago in the 50s was started by a disgruntled student.

[@DonSMDT]

THE SANDWICH

[@TheChannelOfPie]

Oh that’s a nice intro “In a few minutes 146 will be dead” Oh..

[@LunyMilky]

Ouch, this was a heavy one.. Damn, I had no idea this happened..

[@kevinyoon7004]

Look up rana plaza factory collapse. This is still a rampant problem around the world

[@LEEboneisDaMan]

That’s not an accident. The bosses don’t want us to remember what we can do when we organize.

[@Kanbei11]

Profit for owners was put above the life of workers.

[@skilledwarman]

@@LEEboneisDaMan people always say stuff like this one videos about bad things that happen in America. I'm learning that I either went to a really great school, y'all didnt pay enough attention in class, or your schools SUCKED.

[@diamondminer81]

@@LEEboneisDaMan It's in APUSH

[@jessed9824]

“Remember the Triangle, and get to work” Now that’s a good quote to remember

[@Beowulf_DW]

And THIS is why unions and regulations are important. Without them, we would quickly slip back into the age of the robber barons. They will do whatever they think they can get away with.

[@littleregg3164]

Dean Cutler you must be a corporate slave

[@lufalcon1240]

Except, unions just changed into political activist groups for whomever paid them. Protesting at command. barely ever worked. The biggest changes came from employees Dsstroying company stuff. Or, like the video. People dying.

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@lufalcon1240 go away, scab

[@steve1978ger]

the trope of the corrupt unions is certainly well paid for

[@laysdong]

@@lufalcon1240 Just nonsense. Clown.

[@JohnnyElRed]

The "Asch" Building? Seems like a macabre premonition.

[@bearcatben4762]

Its likely foreign and unrelated to fire

[@theposhdinosaur7276]

like that "wreck of the titan" book in which the unsinkable "Titan" hits an iceberg and capsizes. Written 14 years before the Titanic sunk.

[@xadrezo2610]

Fun fact: "Asche" is the German word for... you guessed it: ash.

[@coredumperror]

I've known about this story for years, because my great uncle prosecuted the case against the factory owners. It's so cool to see it show up on Extra History!

[@deniseeulert2503]

There was a TV movie about this fire, I forget the title. I had been aware of the story, but learned more from that, and WAY more from the follow up on this documentary,

[@samuelmcraven1738]

"In thirty minutes, a hundred and forty-six of them will be dead." Woah, that escalated quickly.

[@funnemanboy]

:thinkin about the triangle shirtwaist factory:

[@joshmun9343]

Schlatt reference

[@mississippimoo8854]

It is important to understand the past's history that coincidentally connects to today's world. Even after forced labor has been disapproved in the U.S., it currently still being used all around the world. This video reminds us that working in an unsafe environment is still in this society.

[@etcetera1995]

Hong Lin Tsai And forced labor still goes on in prisons.

[@kokuinomusume]

The building collapse that killed over a thousand garment women workers in Bangladesh in 2013 is the most glaring recent example. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Savar_building_collapse

[@Vic_Trip]

The purpose of a prison is to be a correctional facility where inmates get a chance to earn back the trust of the government and society. Unfortunately, the way it works in the US is that it's more of a harsh punishment that inmates have to endure more than a facility that helps people stop committing crimes. Because the system is heavily meritocratic, prisoners have to work their way through their sentence in order to earn their freedom. In exchange, the government is responsible for providing prisoners safety, basic-quality food, and good establishments. Problem is food inside plenty of prisons are owned by private organizations, leaving the quality up to the provider and creating a gap where corporations can abuse of the prisioners. Many problems can be found in prisons...

[@robertjarman3703]

Hong Lin Tsai You know the US has an incredibly high, actually the highest rate for countries of more than 500 thousand, prison population, most of whom are on meaningless drug charges or crimes that are easy to prevent with decent social policy and restorative justice, abused for large amounts of prison labour.

[@Vic_Trip]

If that's the case, that's terrible :/

[@USMarshmallow]

I remember writing a paper on this tragedy in my first year of high school. I wept through my research and made sure that I put out the best, most well researched report for these women. Even now, I cry at the thought of those who died in such a horrible manner.

[@stormstudios8226]

Something that would be haunting is seeing the claw marks on the doors. What I hate is how the owners never faced any true consequences.

[@TESkyrimizer]

When injustice is the norm, justice is an anomaly and criminals go unpunished.

[@avirajsinghmehta1857]

They went to open a new factory only it had to be closed cause no one was willing to work with them and also the fashion changed so no one was buying shirtwaist

[@stormstudios8226]

@@avirajsinghmehta1857 Good.

[@paulblichmann2791]

Jews never suffer full consequences.

[@stormstudios8226]

@@paulblichmann2791 Wut?-

[@kevinmedina9234]

You know, the triangle is apso the greek symbol delta, which is used in equations to represent the change of a variable, so I think it's kinda fitting

[@dynamicworlds1]

Kevin Medina wow, very nice accidental symbolism catch there

[@elroyscout]

I go to NYU and we use the building as a science building, every now and then there’s a few flowers and a wreath put there, and once heard a union rally when I had a class in the connected building... I pass it every now and then, and I always think about this every time

[@mandisaw]

Brown Bldg is haunted IMO

[@whytheheckarewedoinginhere1886]

I can imagine some students heard women screaming while they called the police and when the police came there no one around.....Ok, that made me scared a bit.

[@leahhart6085]

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to help you realize that you can spark change, and that someone needs to spark change to keep everyone safe.

[@kingalfred2014]

Oh hey, Leelee did the art for this episode! Sweet!

[@DragoniteSpam]

I make fun of it a lot but this is something I actually remember from history class in high school (though they covered it in way less detail). Sad that it took this kind of disaster to enact any kind of reform though, as I understand it things were like this for pretty much the entire Industrial Revolution to this point. Also that little bit at the end has _so_ many applications today :^)

[@nikigoturspine7478]

DragoniteSpam if you look in history these kinds of reforms almost always take place after a disaster like this. Take the sanitation movement, which came after a huge outbreak of cholera in the U.K. (watch the extra credits segment: The Broad Street Pump) or the workers union movement, which began after people were dying from being overworked in industrial areas. Generally speaking, almost all of these safety measures are made in response to public outcry from tragedy.

[@creepystares9853]

capitalists only reform when forced because it reduces profits. something we need to remember when things occur that are disliked by most, but kept by the few.

[@comradecat5209]

Creepy Stares Sadly you are right. Just because some legislation is passed, bosses are not going to stop the exploitation of workers. Back here in Germany legislature for a minimun wage was passed a few jears ago and still in for instance the gastronomy sector barely anything has changed. It needs something bigger than reforms to actually better peoples lifes. Nevertheless thanks to Extra Credits for covering this topic. And sorry for bad english btw.

[@Leo-vr3bg]

We learned about it when where talking of the cons of the industrial revolution. It was even worse because this factory was filled with women and children. Such a tragedy.

[@animeotaku307]

Reason that they say "These regulations are written in blood."

[@theokchannel2081]

It's a little sad that these things that seem like common sense today, were painted as "progressive" could say "left leaning" ideas. Treating your workers with some common decency shouldn't be partisan

[@peterjumper881]

Unfortunately, this is often the case today still. Look at the monsters that Trump has put into his cabinet, and how they are actively tearing down consumer protections, safety protections, and safety protections.

[@guilherme77088]

In those days, simply being Liberalm as in, a right-wing liberal, was considered progressive

[@mr.stargazer9835]

It isn't.

[@animorph17]

Considering it still is today, there's a reason behind it. Corporations want more money and the place they get profit is from citizens buying their stuff, or workers doing stuff for them. Anything that is pro-citizens ends up being anti-corporation in some way. You can still see it in EA's lootboxes.

[@LtKharn]

Nobody is saying business seeking profit is evil, it's just amoral and so to keep its practices ethical, regulations are sometimes required.

[@AnimeOtaku2]

You showed FDR in his wheelchair! As a wheelchair user myself that makes me so happy!

[@fakedude1626]

Do people not show FDR in his wheel chair?

[@mavadotar]

FDR didn't show FDR in his wheelchair. He had an agreement with the press not to be photographed in it.

[@Arkylie]

I think he got shown in a wheelchair in the Animaniacs "Presidents" song as well. Not sure if that's the only other place I've seen him portrayed that way, or not :\

[@Udontkno7]

This comment makes me happy damnit this is so joyous

[@jrt818]

Against the wishes of FDR who wanted his abilities publicized and not his disabilities glorified.

[@Gustav_Kuriga]

I like that this video took the time to point out that a political machine like Tammany hall wasn't inherently anti-reform, that was only a side-effect of its previous voting base. They cared about getting elected, not the specific laws that were put into place.

[@thechieftain8936]

Smoking Kills

[@HxH2011DRA]

Always has, always will

[@robertjarman3703]

Not quite this literally.

[@geoffreyherrick9900]

The Chieftain in more ways than one!

[@festethephule7553]

The Chieftain That shouldn't make me laugh, but goddamn XD.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Obey the No Smoking signs or you'll kill people

[@jamesbedwell8935]

*gasp* extra history uploading 2 videos in 2 days *gasp*

[@thexman-jk4ht]

Martin_ Leong BURY YOUR GOLD QUICKLY!

[@shirosocool2938]

Denmark ite **le gasp**

[@keigoftw]

I've heard them eulogized half a dozen times, defined by how they died. Told as if they were some fable of a far off time, the girls who fought and died trying. But never before this have I seen the honored.

[@nicolisandrianidis8028]

As a Canadian, this was an incredibly informative and inspiring episode regarding US Labour Law. It was inspiring to learn how such an awful situation yielded such positive results. Thank you for shining light on a not so well known event!

[@fakename7901]

As an organizational psychologist, i'm so glad you guys shed some light on this subject of safety and health in the work place and also the introduction of humanist progress to the industrial world. All this reforms and the ones to come after proved to be better not only for the well being of the worker and to ensure their fair and comprenhensive treatment, but also for the companies efficiency wise in the long run. This also helped close the gap between workers and administrations, creating a more efficient communication process and reducing both human loss and property damage by establising safety guidelines and programs. I could go on all day on how important this was for human rights, creating more effient and developed industries, and the modern world in general, but the important thing is that you guys created something valuable for students to start their own inquiries on the subject. Congrats on another great video, and best wishes.

[@HxH2011DRA]

Fake Name It's pretty rad

[@ProfessorPicke]

I work at a factory, the rules are mostly for appearances to the inspectors. Very few actually respectable rules, most just waste energy and give benefits to lazy work. I'd prefer if I could get shit done and be rewarded proportionally to my service instead.

[@wildfire9280]

@@ProfessorPicke “Lazy” work is smart work. Shouldn’t be doing anything outside your job description without pay.

[@zollen123]

Here is a lesson: Don't be afraid of rich and powerful groups, fight for justices and common senses.

[@blackcoat7175]

Hmmm 'social' justices?

[@undeadwill5912]

What do you do then when the people you fight say "we are doing that!" Do you listen to them? Or do you shout them down?

[@AgentSilver-en4yc]

Stephen Kong also, Don’t be an idiot and smoke a cigarette in a clothing factory.

[@FOSSAllDay]

You know that's literally what Jesus died for, right? If you don't like a Church, keep looking, and just read The Book. You only need The Bible. Seriously, if you can read Kings 1 and 2, it reads like formal logic. I believe that's why it was so easy for me in College (including computer programming). Just love people like Jesus loved you. And maybe you are a Christian, in which case, this is just a shameless public service announcement, not trying to offend anyone. Thanks.

[@zollen123]

Stop thinking about the fire that took place a century ago. Think about the immediate problem in US. This video asks us what we could do about the mass shootings in US.

[@AMCDecker]

As a firefighter and a history buff I love that you guys covered this. This is a landmark for the fire service and also sparked major changes in the fire departments of new york city and the rest of the country.

[@KaiTenSatsuma]

I fear we're shifting back towards the sort of environment that enabled this tragedy.

[@philipundisclosed7654]

Although not specific to this video I'd like to say that the way you've increased video production without at all decreasing quality is pretty incredible.

[@suspiciousflamingpyro]

Two different art styles, not really comparable

[@dynamicworlds1]

Suspicious Flaming Pyro they've always had a range of art styles thanks to the guest artists. I'd still say this falls within that range.

[@Snowy123]

Dan does a good job of making things feel heroic and brings tears to my eyes

[@TheDarkBrethren]

Amazing video! I had already studied this topic briefly in one of my history classes, and was tempted to ignore the video. But I decided to ignore the voice in my head and watch it anyway and see what else I could learn. Boy am I glad I did that. Not only did you provide new knowledge, but your description really made the scene come alive and feel much more 'real' than just seeing casualty numbers in a book. And that hopeful message in the end was really inspiring. Thank you for reminding me that even if we think we know a subject, we probably don't and there are so many different ways to view that topic :D

[@a.feigenheimer8044]

Thank you so much for covering this tragedy. If you could please do a series on the Union movement that would be excellent.

[@ImVeryOriginal]

A video on the Haymarket Affair and the origins of Labor Day would be nice. People forget how awful capitalism was for most people up until WW2. Now these times are slowly coming back with globalization, deregulation, unions and the left wing being weaker than ever, which is why the history of socialist movements and their achievements must be remembered.

[@KarolaTea]

+

[@LEEboneisDaMan]

+

[@Ben-zq8ug]

and its still, pretty horrible for many of the third world countries, such as the coltan mines

[@vishalworldoffire]

getting an extra history series is like corrupt politics. you have to buy votes.

[@Cavouku]

You had me at Theodore Roosevelt. Can't stop the Bull Moose!

[@Cavouku]

Fredrik Dunge I would say it's just a *little* bit of a stretch to blame the escalation of WWI on Roosevelt. You're taking the agency out of a lot of people's hands, not least of all Woodrow Wilson. Teddy wasn't perfect, there are legitimate holes that can be punched depending on your position on trusts, unions, and his interventions in Central America. But indirectly pressuring Woodrow into WWI? I'd have to ask for an elaboration or a convincing source.

[@habojspade]

They totally stopped the Bull Moose.

[@damianr2227]

Why does schlatt know about this..

[@lumenelsie361]

Why you ask me? He just knows, he's a smart man, ya know

[@stewlover420]

He was there. Schlatt was watching

[@honzaostransky]

__caht He was the one behind the fire.

[@winstonhibbert4809]

probably a big event in new york lore

[@smokingnome]

Thanks so much for featuring this event. We take the rights and labour protections that we enjoy for granted and it’s great to see a video that teaches us about the price paid by others for us to have these rights today

[@j1337ke]

I was Max Blanc in my high school play of the Triangle Factory Fire. This entire travesty is absolutely fascinating to me, and you did an amazing job researching it. Great work on the video!

[@eemelisaurila9940]

“Remember the triangle” Why do I feel like we’re about to get illuminati jokes

[@HxH2011DRA]

Eemeli Saurila Illuminati confirmed

[@theposhdinosaur7276]

Maybe because you just made one?

[@passonthestar3689]

Eemeli Saurila or fire emblem for that matter

[@sonalily6839]

+Captain Coolguy YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[@eiandumo9289]

iluminati: stay where you are

[@viceroybolt3518]

In our more recent times, Amazon refused to tell workers that a tornado was coming. In my town, the manager at an elder home had to literally violate orders given from her boss to evacuate the home with what would eventually turn out to be the deadliest wildfire in state history so far roaring down on them. Only disobedience saved their lives. The lesson of Triangle isn't learned yet

[@tassadarc8069]

"The executives made it to the roof, escaping." The second biggest tragedy of the night.

[@GideonGleeful95]

I don't know if it was just me, but as a Brit that opening scene reminded me a lot of the Grenfell tower firre.

[@mandisaw]

Grenfell was wholly preventable too

[@xsDelyia]

I definitely feel ya on that

[@herman1francis]

Absolutely. The greed of the wealthy ends in the poor dying.

[@Nisfornarwhal1990]

It was not entirely about greed. What you see is greed because legally the liability of the issue falls down to the client/architect/project manager of the cladding replacement project. Someone during the process did not connect the existing fire resistant properties of the tower with the up-to-date cladding material. No-one sat their and went 'we will pick the incompatible cladding to save money, let them burn', because if the incompatibility was spotted earlier in the project it would not have been legally allowed to go ahead. The concrete tower was designed to contain fires within a floor by its construction and material properties. The cladding had air-gaps (to dumb it down) within their detailing that sucked flames up it, transferring fire between floors. The concrete tower should not have had that product, and existing fire regulations in the UK do in fact recognise this. This was incompetency, not greed.

[@aidenwhitehead7018]

My mind was stuck on that the whole way through.

[@olixor]

Oh boy that was like really depressing in the beginning.

[@theposhdinosaur7276]

Hey at least their deaths led to the success of reforms that they had worked for years to get through.

[@foomonkey36]

Thanks for making this, when I learned about this in school I just learned about it as a horrible accident that was then corrected. My teachers never emphasized the hard work and diligence that was required to make all the reforms a reality. It really helps to know that people have always faced struggles and been able to make changes for the better. Just like now adays in which more reform is definitely needed

[@maxmustsleep]

these videos are the reason why i love this channel so much! you are putting humans and humanity, as in treating humans in a respectful and forward way, in the center of your topics. in a time, where there seems to be so many self centered money and power focussed people in leading positions, it is so important to see the other side. the people that suffer from that. who have been - and still are - suppressed but also that there is change and hope for change if you act and come together to overcome these people and eventually the problem itself. thank you people at EC for your great work. This is my favourite channel on earth!

[@bruhcrazy7021]

did anyone else come here from schlatt

[@yangzhou07]

I did!

[@sussybaka6106]

yes

[@emma-vp2qr]

howd you know

[@juanchaparro2258]

schlatt posted this?

[@unclejimmy2630]

Yup

[@Chopskee9119]

Oh my god, so many characters were harmed in this brutal extra history episode!

[@vladimirlagos2688]

Every once in a while, it is nice to remember that history is not always made with swords and cannons, but with pens and words. As a teacher, I really struggle to make my students understand how this and other similar events are as important as Gettysburg or D-Day in shaping our modern world. Thank you Extra Credits! Now I have another tool to achieve that goal!

[@anthrogirl7456]

I remember reading a book about this in high school; it was titled "Triangle." It's beyond the word "sad."

[@JoshuaJeremiah]

I just finished performing in an opera about this tragedy titled Morning Star by Ricky Ian Gordon. Thanks for making this!

[@HxH2011DRA]

*Life Will Change Plays in the Background*

[@HxH2011DRA]

Techon *THE GOAT*

[@melonlemon8548]

Im here because of lunch club

[@xeli3046]

Yeah

[@joshmun9343]

Same

[@amirahmed3081]

Tf is luch club

[@amirahmed3081]

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

[@komalshah4]

@@amirahmed3081 ok

[@blue_teacup]

Thank you so much for covering this. Very few people know about it and I think this type of thing is important for everyone to learn from.

[@ginkiba3]

This is why we need regulations. This is why unions exist. This is why workers need to be aggressive when it comes to their rights and protections. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire wasn't the only or first catastrophe, it happened numerous times before and nothing was done about it because any means of addressing the dangers internally conflicted with the companies' bottom-line. Once society at large realized the risks people took everyday, and how mistreated they were by their employers, then and only then did the public put its foot down and forced legislation. That's the only way meaningful labor-reform can happen. I don't care if this unpopular to state or not, but most businesses, especially the large ones like Amazon, Walmart, and Google, don't care about their workers, and the situation is far, far, faaar worse in other parts of the world where people work now as people did at the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Their comfort, livelihoods, and security is meaningless to them if it doesn't somehow enrich them. People need to be aware on how millions of people live and get by today, and how they could potentially improve.

[@robertjarman3703]

Paul Hanson Regulations are not enough, if you do not own the factories and society, in cooperatives and communes, the owners will fight back and roll the regulations back.

[@MrTomtomtest]

Exactly, people that are completely anti regulation just don't seem to know what a company is... They are legal constructs with the sole purpose of making money. On an established & competitive market that just means a race to the bottom in which the companies the least burdened by ethics or morals survives.

[@ginkiba3]

As someone that is both from Michigan and had an entire side of his family grew up in Detroit during that entire debacle, you couldn't be anymore wrong.

[@ginkiba3]

On its own no, but again, these reforms couldn't and didn't happen internally because they got in the way of profit. That's still a problem today.

[@mondocool5670]

Everyone I know personally who works for Google only has amazing things to say, they definitely make sure their employees are satisfied and cared for.

[@Canhistoryismylife]

There is power in a union

[@robertjarman3703]

Graeme B Solidarity forever!

[@525Lines]

Right but they've enacted so many improvements that American workers priced themselves out of the market. Why work with a factory that's a union house when you can hire illegal aliens or ship the work off to India. Do you know it's cheaper for American cities to buy manhole covers made in India than in the US?

[@Irobern2857]

True and the power of collective voice is strong, but unfortunately some of these groups have become just as unyielding and greedy as the industries they tried to fight in the past.

[@robertjarman3703]

525Lines The US props up other countries' capitalism as well. Foreign aid and weapons most obviously, but immigration law that makes workers able to flee their poverty isn't provided to workers these days. The US could invest in the cooperatives in places like India where worker ownership and freedom can be hard won, but it chooses not to. If those other workers so own their workplaces and homes, no rent, no bosses, no gods, no masters, they can create no reason to work for the paymaster and factory owner, forcing them to reform or wither away, pushing price up. And the developed countries, cooperatives and communes which own the factories and shops for themselves can refuse to save a pretty penny and obtain only from those who own their workplaces and societies themselves as well, boycotting unfree labour.

[@robertjarman3703]

Ian Oberndorfer Cooperatives on small scales allow less cartelization and corruption.

[@DiamondYoshi101]

Let’s take a Moment to honor the Fallen. Join me so a Moment of silence. Thanks for participating in this moment of silence.

[@lugwigugren5198]

Schlatt:😳

[@michaellancia45]

I love every Extra History episode, they always fill my belly of historical knowledge that are both interesting and fun to discover :D

[@captiannemo1587]

There were reforms before Triangle. The first being the inspection of Boilers and the training of people both to inspect them and maintain them starting the late 1860s and early 1870s after an series of explosions. Although despite the explosions and resulting fires linseed oil was even into the 1920s a popular thing to keep the dust down in factories.

[@chogak]

Funfact: Theodore Roosevelt unseated Boss Murphy in Tammany, who was a symbol in the underworld.

[@TheKirbyT]

I went to NYU who owns that building now, and you can almost feel the loss on the ninth floor. It's eerie.

[@DemitriVladMaximov]

I am by far the least interested in new laws and regulations, but all these lives were lost due to the great evil of greed and the inability to see people as people. Sadly when money becomes an end onto itself rather than a means to something then evil will happen.

[@heavenlygaze-]

Tragedies like these make me feel lucky for me to even be alive

[@santtuahola325]

This was a really good episode. It touched the watcher with bringing the emotional horror that happened that day. It was real wake up call on how bad things were then, and now we can see the reforms that came after. Thank you for this 😊

[@LedZeppeli]

Honestly thank you this was amazing. Low key cried at the end there. Here's to the teachers continuing the struggle today.

[@vincenmt]

Al Smith deserves an extra history stand alone of his own. Title "The Happy Warrior."

[@addadu8031]

Nah, that title goes to a bear who served in WWII, as that's his name, albeit in polish.

[@G_Okr]

As a non American, I would like to learn more about the events of Hurricane Catrina and its effects on New Orleans. Could you please make an episode obout this in the future if its not too much work ?

[@HistoryNerd808]

Giorgos Okaro Katrina was awful. Thankfully, I've never lived there but New Orleans is like a giant fish bowl because it's under sea level so when the levees broke, that water just stayed there and the damage was extremely severe. Here's a summary of it www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina

[@mandisaw]

They would have to do a whole series. A lot of the issues with Katrina start with how New Orleans' wards & parishes are setup, why much of the river delta is blocked, who owns what land, who is considered more important, etc. And then the recovery & fallout are still kind of ongoing... Try watching HBO's Treme instead, that might help

[@SomeGuy1117]

Giorgos Okaro These guys have a philosophy of only covering things that are 100+ years old. They feel you can't get a good view of something unless it is that old to prevent bias.

[@wolfbyte3171]

Except when sponsors are involved (I'm not trying to say anything there, just pointing the fact out) regarding the Battle of Kursk, Sinking the Bismarck, the Cold War, and I think the D-Day one

[@onelowerlight]

theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html

[@girlthatisagirl2538]

I remember having read one of the I survived books about the triangle factory. It was terrible to read a story about a young poor girl trying to jump down an elevator shaft holding onto its cables just to survive a preventable fire. The story stuck with me for a while and I'm glad to now know that something good came out of it

[@firockfinion3326]

Remember this story while fighting for net neutrality, people.

[@lukemarchand4183]

Another excellent video! I, for one, would be very interested in seeing more about Tammany Hall, particularly its rise and decline!

[@gmoralesmorales9212]

I find this video fascinating, and dedicated it to our teachers in Oklahoma who want better school funding for our children, and a better pay!

[@TheDragonfriday]

GMorales Morales America school system is broken I finish high school last year abs every single class I’m in are filled with next generation low life wannabe gangsters. I have to deal with the over 4 year.

[@tubplunger]

Forgive me if I am wrong, but didn't the teachers there just get a raise before all this?

[@Nipplator99999999999]

GMorales Morales I wouldn't limit recognition to only a single system, but include all the educators that strive to improve the lives of youth, but will never receive a fraction of the compensation and praise they deserve.

[@patlmalon]

OK teachers had been saying for weeks now that they would strike at the start of last week so legislators hurriedly passed a much smaller raise than was being asked for. On top of this they began the repel process for this raise the second it passed. Finally, the teachers are also asking for increased funding for schools which has not been given.

[@Aldowyn]

yeah, that raise was clearly designed to allow the legislature to paint the teachers as greedy parasites that just want more state funding. Looks like it didn't work, thankfully.

[@ladylunaginaofgames40]

As a student of Interior Design, this event is taught to us over and over again when it comes to fire safety. While it was this event that leads to the founding of Building codes regarding fire safety and the National FIre Prevention Association (NFPA), the country saw another tragedy like this at least twice that made it official. The first was the Coconut Grove fire in 1942 (the second-worst tragedy in American History) and the other was the Station NightClub fire which was in 2003 (which taught everyone exactly WHY you need to maintain fire codes)

[@JoshSweetvale]

6:05 Holy Vetinari! This 'Boss Murphy' sounds deliciously pragmatic!

[@mrandrews3616]

How the Hell have I never heard of this before? Thanks for putting this up. We all need to know of these tragedies.

[@cebenify]

When you realize how Perkins got to FDR's cabinet

[@tomie6723]

*i came here because of lunch club* edit: this is fucking sad thanks lunch club im traumatized...*crys*

[@elernation5519]

This has happened again though. Last year in Britain over 80 people died in a fire in the middle of the night. It burnt so quickly and they couldn’t escape. Many families huddled together and burnt. This should have made sprinklers be all around the world in every building. In case you wonder what the apartment that burnt name was, it was Grenfell Tower.

[@Shaymin0]

So... don't smoke?

[@etcetera1995]

shahaman noodah No? Don’t trap your exploited workers in dangerous environments?

[@DahVoozel]

And anger the tobacco lobby?

[@KungKras]

And have workplace regulations!

[@merrittanimation7721]

Don't smoke in a building filled with highly flammable material and hundreds of people. Also fire escapes are important

[@crimson-foxtwitch2581]

Corporate nonsense leads to tragedies like this, and I wish that it was over now. Let’s work towards a new age of prosperity where we actually learn from our mistakes.

[@landlordize]

Your description of the tragedy was truly haunting. It is sad that things must often go horribly wrong before changes are made.

[@isaiahmeza448]

Oh nice intro segment "in 30 minutes 146 of them will die" oh okay nevermind

[@keeperofeurobeat8421]

What's the moral of the story here? What can we draw from this disaster that killed 146 people? Dont throw a cigarette in a pile of cloth.

[@merrittanimation7721]

Keeper of Eurobeat Don't smoke in a building filled with flammable material and hundreds of random people

[@Victor-iq5rd]

Don't smoke period.

[@blisterpacman]

@@Victor-iq5rd you should be able to do what you want as long as you aren't harming other people.

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@blisterpacman and smoking can harm other people

[@andiek.102]

Just recently I watched a video on the triangle fire we had to write facts and one question about the video my question was "why weren't the people on floor 9 warned about the fire? "

[@Crosis101]

I grew up in Chicago, and one of the things that has always fascinated me is how much people didn't respect fires as a way to die. There was a similar event in Chicago that was a school fire. The fire escapes only went to the 3rd floor and the building was 5 stories tall. People watched children and nuns burn. To this day, according to the information I have, Chicago has the strictest fire code of any city ion the nation. Interestingly enough, the first fire code regulation was in Boston MA, and it was "You may not have wooden chimneys"

[@ilgeorgioahp543]

It infuriates me how so many rich people and politicians put money over human lives and human rights. This lack of empathy for the poor, the working class, the middle class and children in particular should always be considered psychotic.

[@chriss5821]

We just learned this in Social Studies this always happen were like 1 month after i learn a subject in school a video about it will come out on Extra History

[@whatarewedoingwithourlives4419]

Omg I just learned about this tragedy in my ELA class I learned so much more thank you for covering this

[@moviemaker1986]

Man, if channels like this (heck, if KZbin itself) had existed when I was in school, that would have been so awesome!

[@danielhyson6079]

T.R. FTW!LONG LIVE ROOSEVELT!Glad you guys decided to cover this topic. It is a seriously undercovered story and I'm excited to see it getting the attention it deserves. Also glad Allison's back.