episode summary

On March 25, 1911, New York City’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory burst into flames, and 146 workers — mostly young women immigrants — perished. We visit the building and learn how public outcry inspired workplace safety laws that revolutionized industrial work nationwide. Descendants and activists show us how that work reverberates today.

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sites visited (in order of appearance on-screen)

  • Site of the former Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, New York City

  • Home of Suzanne Pred Bass, New York City

  • Tenement Museum, New York City

  • Studio of Julia Wolfe, New York City

  • Archives of The Forward, New York City

  • Studio of Richard Joon Yoo, New York City