Women in the Early to Mid-20th Century (1900-1960): Overviews

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WOMEN IN THE EARLY TO MID-20TH CENTURY (1900-1960): OVERVIEWS

SARAH JANE DEUTSCH (ESSAY DATE 2000)

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ON THE SUBJECT OF…

THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE (25 MARCH 1911)

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City was the site of the 1909 "Uprising of the 20,000," one of the first demonstrations of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) and the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL). Factory owners Max Blanck and Issac Harris thwarted workers' attempts to unionize, and began locking the factory doors to prevent union organizers from entering. In February, 1911, a U.S. Labor Department inspection of the factory cited several hazardous conditions: the locked exits; a perilously narrow, 18-inch-wide stairwell leading to the street; doorways that swung inward, making them difficult to open in a crowded situation; oily rags and piles of flammable fabric strewn about the work areas, which also contained cutting machines fueled by gasoline and work tables marred with cigarette burns. No action was taken to address these safety violations. On Saturday, 25 March 1911, the day of the fire, about five hundred workers were in the factory. Workers were trampled and crushed as they rushed to escape through the narrow stairwells and open the inward-swinging doors. People were jammed into the elevator, some attempting to ride on top of the car; bodies soon blocked the shafts so that the elevator could no longer be used. Those trapped in the workroom threw themselves out of the eighth-story windows and were dashed to death on the pavement. Others tried to use the flimsy fire escape, which quickly melted in the heat. Firefighters were unable to save the workers who did not manage to escape via the elevator, stairs, or fire escape. The nets and blankets they spread to catch the workers tore, and their ladder wasn't long enough to reach the workroom. The death toll was 146: 133 women and 13 men. The Triangle fire provoked enough public outrage to establish stricter fire codes and inspire new and inexperienced labor organizations to press for supportive legislation. This was part of the beginning of a long struggle for fair labor practices for all workers, equal treatment of women, and safe working conditions.

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ON THE SUBJECT OF…

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT (1884-1962)

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was an especially active and visible First Lady. Her innumerable trips across the country, visiting Americans from all socioeconomic, political, and cultural backgrounds, proved invaluable in gaining support for her husband and his administration and in advancing the causes of poor and disenfranchised Americans. Roosevelt's syndicated column, "My Day," was read by millions of Americans, who also regularly tuned in to her 15-minute radio broadcasts. She was deeply committed to social service projects, particularly to ensuring that those projects ushered in by her husband's New Deal program served all Americans, including women, people of color, youths, and tenant farmers. During World War II, Roosevelt's personal visits with American and Allied troops, during which she spoke to soldiers at front-line installations, army camps, and field hospitals in Great Britain, Australia, the South Pacific, and the United States, were received with universal enthusiasm. As popular as she was, however, Roosevelt was also widely criticized for her support of the allegedly Communist-dominated American Youth Congress, American Newspaper Guild, and the Works Progress Administration. She also received negative attention for her outspoken support of birth control and equal opportunities for women, her opposition to censorship, and her actions in support of human and civil rights. Nevertheless, she remained unwavering in her dedication to these groups and causes. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt was appointed by President Truman to the U.S. delegation to the United Nations. She was also elected chair of the Commission on Human Rights. She received numerous awards, including the first annual Franklin Delano Roosevelt Brotherhood Award in 1946 and the Four Freedoms award. In addition to her syndicated column, Roosevelt authored numerous magazine articles and several books, including When You Grow Up to Vote (1932) and It's Up to the Women (1933).