WORKING CONDITIONS IN AMERICA (1880S -1910S)

US History: Spiconardi

Issues workers faced

Unsafe conditions Severe injuries

Mangled limbs, infected cuts, chronic illness Long Hours Low pay

The Mills

What dangers would a child face in this textile mill? Why would a child be hired for this type of work?

The Mills

What do you think this little girl’s job was? What dangerous conditions do you think she faced?

The Mills

What was the boy in the foregrounds job? What unsafe conditions did he face? What happened to the boy in the middle?

Steel Factories

What are some possible safety issues steel factory workers may have faced?

The Mines

How would you describe the children who worked in the mines?

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

One of the largest industrial accidents in New York City’s history 146 dead 70 injured

Workers, mostly females, were trapped inside a factory in Greenwich Village during a fire. Doors were locked Fire escape collapsed Horse drawn fire

engines on their way to the fire

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Many women jumped out of the building, as that was their only hope of escaping the fire.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Forty bodies on the sidewalk of the fire’s victims.

Reforms

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire called attention to the condition’s workers faced

States passed new safety laws to protect factory workers Limited the number of hours that could be

worked per day (10 hours) and per week (60 hours)

Banned women and children from working in mines Some reforms would be overturned or limited

by the courts