This discussion is going to be about Ellen Wiley Todd’s article about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911. After you read the article you should know about the events leading up to the fire that led to the deaths of some 146 immigrant women? Why were the doors locked? What were the owners attempting to accomplish by locking the doors?
The required question on the midterm involves explicating Rose Schneiderman’s impromptu speech at the Met Opera House. Who was Schneiderman? Where was she sitting in the Opera House when she gave that speech? Is this a feminist speech, e.g., is it about the power of women? Is her concern more about socio-economic class? Who was she addressing? You should be able to use her words to back up your argument.
How might we relate the issues faced by the women working in the Shirtwaist Factory in 1909-1911 with workers today who are not organized into labor unions? What kinds of workers today are the most vulnerable in terms of low wages, access to healthcare, childcare, etc. By “kinds of workers,” I mean jobs. What kinds of jobs do they have? How might they go about getting better working conditions, including better pay and safer conditions?
