Mention one new detail that you learned from the documentary segment that none of your classmates have commented on in previous responses.
18 thoughts on “The Power and the People, Part Two”
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IDC 1001H
This documentary segment was the first time I had heard about the Uprising of the 20,000. I thought it was very interesting that this first significant general strike was carried out by women, against the advice of male union leaders. In 1909, the strike leader, Clara Lemlich, was able to encourage thousands of women shirtwaist workers in New York to go on strike. These women demonstrated a strong commitment to the cause by enduring the bitter cold and often being disrespectfully arrested. Additionally, some very wealthy women also joined the strike in support of the cause which increased its publicity. Although the strike failed to ignite real change in the working conditions, it is still significant because, according to the video, it represents the first modern successful effort to unionize garment workers and marks the turning point for emerging political power of the immigrant working class. In fact, about 3 months later, 60,000 cloak makers went on a similar strike that lead to real negotiations.
While I knew about the tragic fire that occurred in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911, I never knew about the overwhelming reform movement that followed. I had always assumed that this accident was just one of many. After the initial shock wore off, I thought people moved on. I believed that the 146 victims of this inferno had died in vain. This documentary, however, taught me about the direct, positive impacts of this tragedy. This tragedy was not forgotten; instead, it brought the harsh realities of city life to public attention, leading to widespread political reform. Shortly after the fire, concerned citizens and officials began to discuss reform legislation. Their ideas for reform were quickly brought to state officials. It was feared that reform would be halted by Tammany Hall. Instead, Charlie Murphy, the chief of Tammany, took action. He knew that demographics in New York were changing, so he would have to appeal to new immigrants to keep his power. Murphy placed Robert F. Wagner, Sr. and Al Smith on investigation. Over the course of four years, Wagner, Smith, and the factory commission toured factories across New York, citing poor working condition. Once enough evidence had been collected, the factory commission was able to write new laws. Progressive safety legislation regarding fire protection, staircases, sprinklers, lighting, ventilation, washrooms, machinery, weekly hours, and child labor were introduced. All of this reform had come from the ashes of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, proving that the workers who perished did not die in vain; their deaths brought forth legislation that would protect countless other factory workers. As dark as this event was, I am pleased to know that it actually led to a brighter future.
From this documentary segment, I learned the important role that Al Smith played in the reform movement. While the horrific events of the Triangle Factory fire touched the lives of many Americans and showed them the need for reform, Smith was one of few who took steps to achieve such necessary reform. The man who was hated by many and considered someone who would never provide any help, ultimately became the face for this movement. He took part in a 4 year investigation into the conditions and operations of factories, and shocked the public by being one reformer to be in attendance during every step of the investigation. His work in factory reformation brought about laws to regulate conditions in the factories and working hours for women, and kept children out of the working environment. I was surprised by the fact that the fire brought out this character in Smith, and made him a symbol of the necessary movement. His support for the groups who needed a voice in the government was steadfast, and he was thereafter the “weapon” of factory reform.
One thing I learned from this documentary was the massive impact of the subway line on New York City. Though it is quite self explanatory that it connects all of the New York boroughs, the introduction of subways transformed the city much greater than that. The construction of the subway line embodied the New Yorker mind to transform nature with sheer man power as the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Grid, and Central Park had shown the country. In addition, the concept of the express train and the single fare had an extreme impact on not only for New Yorkers but the country itself. In contrast to European lines, the subway system in New York was already the most modern and most intricate of its time. However, the radical idea of an express line was unheard of in the world. As well as a single fare of only a nickel that would allow one to travel as far as they pleased were purely an American concept, more specifically a New Yorker concept. The subway line would eventually become an iconic and irreplaceable transportation system to the city that allowed New Yorkers to reestablish their status as the best city in America and perhaps the most well functioning city in the entire world. Subways brought New Yorkers together physically when in reality, the subway lines connected New York with the entire world, spreading and reminding its city’s greatness at every stop.
Something interesting that I learned from this documentary was how the rise in immigration heavily influenced the culture of Manhattan. In 1907, at Ellis Island 11,747 immigrants were brought in to New York within 12 hours. This was the busiest recorded day for immigration through Ellis Island. At this time nearly forty percent of the population was foreign born. 3,000 people were able to be transported on the ships that were 8 stories high and 800 feet in length. I also learned about how the people of Manhattan valued Hudson and Fulton. Their travels to Manhattan heavily influenced Manhattan’s culture. In September of 1909, there was a Hudson-Fulton celebration. It was in honor of Hudson sailing into Manhattan 300 years ago and Fulton hauling his steamboat in 100 years ago. The celebration was for the duration of ten days and people would line up to watch the ships stream in and out of the harbor. Hilbert Wright flew is airplane around the Statue of Liberty. At night, the city was lit up by a million lights provided by the Edison Company. Manhattan became a glittering city of fire. And within one year, Manhattan’s population reached 2.3 million.
I took away something rather simple and weird from the documentary. The documentary talked about how the standard nickel fare of NY subways made it possible for people to move out and move far. If it costs just the same to move one block away on the subway as it does to go from the Bronx all the way to Brooklyn, then why not move to Brooklyn? This fare did not penalize movement. Just this weekend I had the misfortune of taking NJ Transit. NJT bases their fare on your origin point and your destination. The documentary stated that for the subways of London and Paris did much of the same. That way of calculating fare penalizes the poor and discourages movement. How can people move if it costs more for every mile that they need to get to work? New York would have never been the greatest city on Earth without the Subways but it would not be as historically rich and diverse without the flat rate fare.
An interesting fact I learned in this documentary was the significance of the Grand Central and the Pennsylvania stations in the New York subway system. I had always though that these two subways stations were recent developments dating only 50 years ago, and I was surprised to discover that the two stations were created not only more than 100 years ago, but also they were created simultaneously to create a new route to two different but important destinations from Manhattan: long Island and New Jersey. It was also interesting to learn that the architecture of the two stations was intentionally supposed to reflect the Romanesque architecture favored in Europe during the early 20th century to create a more welcoming environment for new immigrants from Europe. Furthermore, the design of the two stations on contrast to the astronomical pace of human development reflects an interesting idea that the two stations existing beyond the limitations of time, and consolidating their place as New York monuments that watch over the coming and going of men every day.
The documentary mentions how the efforts of second generation female teenagers of poor Italian and Jewish immigrants were the main force that drove reforms in the factories. In 1909, the women were innovative in that their strike would target the whole manufacturing industry rather than a single factory. In all, 20,000 women walked off the job drawing major attention to the issues surrounding factory conditions. However, the strike ended as Union’s underwent financial pressures and the winter cold forced women back into the factories. Although the strike ended, it did draw the public spotlight onto the issue as many of the upper-class looked to support the movement. Inspired by the strike, many other unions organized strikes including that of the cloak maker’s union.
I found the women’s strike to be surprisingly effective considering the low status of the group. The young women were still seen in the unfavorable light of their immigrant parents. Despite the public attitudes, the teens were able to convince Union leaders support their efforts. People in higher positions of power, including many known reformers, were not able to seriously challenge the factory owners. The women, with their large strike, are a true example of power in numbers.
As I was watching the documentary, one statement in particular caught my attention. I was shocked to find out that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory had experienced four fires before the one that shook New York City. This was a problem that workers were constantly fighting for and it was evidently occurring as they protested. But no one paid any attention. Why? Was it because no one got seriously injured? Or was it because no garment production was stopped in the process and all the owners cared about was profit? It made me realize that if someone had paid attention to those four “little” fires, maybe the massive fire that occurred, could have been prevented. It shouldn’t have to take 146 deaths for reform to happen. The workers, especially women and young girls, had a right to security and safety in these factories and it is sad to find out that those were being taken away right until someone got hurt. These careless factory owners were willing to close off escape routes in order to get more production and profit. Locking the doors so that unions could not organize led to the death of so many young women. The same women who were the first to even protest for their rights. What saddened me the most was that the factory owners who had locked the doors, were acquitted after being charged for manslaughter because of the fact that the state had no laws for safety procedures and/or practices. Fortunately, after this pivotal moment in the industrial world of New York City, there was more of an attention paid to the law and for making fire escapes and installing escape routes for workers. Everyone in NYC came to a conclusion on that gloomy day: They would not let this atrocity happen ever again.
One new detail that I found particularly interesting is a very specific description of Grand Central Terminal. Having visited Grand Central Station several times, I have always been in awe by the glorious stars and figures that were in display on the ceiling. I’ve sat on the stairs below the Apple Store and people watched for hours. I’ve examined the internal architecture and the tiny details of these designs that added a little “pop” to the terminal. However the video made me realize something I haven’t before. There is a statue of Mercury, the Roman god of trade, profit, and commerce right at the front entrance of the station. Aside from being associated with trade, Mercury is also considered the messenger of the gods and thought to be very swift. I thought the architects were extremely clever in including Mercury as part of the design because a train station not only brings commerce to the area around it but is also a hub for the flow of information just like Mercury is a messenger.
I found it interesting that New York City was a pioneer in public health services. When learning about New York City I have always had this image of squalor and cramped living associated with tenements. Just as visiting the tenement museum opened my eyes to the actual living conditions of tenements, learning of Dr. S Josephine Baker’s Bureau of Child Hygiene and the city’s campaign to help those with tuberculosis has revealed to me that reformers and the city officials were making efforts to make living conditions better for the poorest citizens.
A city like New York has been riddled with rampant disease since the beginning because of the narrowness of the blocks. Learning that efforts toward public health were some the earliest and most successful of all the reform movements of the time changes my perspective of NewYork during this time period.
I was shocked to learn about the Woolworth building in this documentary segment.
As someone who has been quite familiar with New York City since being a child, I thought I was very well aware of all of the City’s famous skyscrapers. From the skyline silhouette, I could easily identify the shape of the Chrysler building, the Empire State Building, and any of the the World Trade Centers – old and new. On top of those, the Flat Iron building, the Met Life building, the Verizon building, Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower are all well known landmarks of New York City to me.
Therefore, when the Woolworth building segment played, my first thought was that it had probably been torn down, thus explaining the lack of familiarity. However a quick google search revealed that it’s still standing strong on Broadway by Barclay Street – just a few steps away from city hall!
What makes it even more shocking was that it was once the tallest building in world “by far” in 1913, paid for by Mr. Woolworth who owned nickel and dime shops and paid for the whole 13 million dollar building in cash! Wow, what a story to remember; I find it astonishing that it isn’t more well known.
Generally, the strike against the garment industry in the early 1900’s was viewed as a frustrating and upsetting time for many young women working in these factories. However, something that I learned and realized from watching the documentary was that there was something positive that came from these strikes. The documentary mentioned how a twenty-three-year-old woman named Clara Lemlich rallied the audience by speaking in Yiddish. Her words were subsequently translated into English and Italian for the rest of the audience to understand and everyone was uplifted and encouraged by Lemlich’s “mesmerizing fervor.” It was fascinating how all these immigrants who spoke different languages were united by a common cause of wanting better working conditions, pay, and hours. Despite the language barrier, all of the women striking were able to unite together to demand better treatment from the garment industry. These strikes are always seen as a chaotic and distressing time in history, but I also saw it as a time in which people from different ethnicities were able to come together to fight for a common cause. This, I think, was significant because New York City was becoming so diverse with immigrants flooding in from all over the world that it was important that they didn’t stick with only “their people,” and that they come to accept people with all kinds of backgrounds. The strike might have been the beginning of New York’s immigrants tolerating and living peacefully with each other.
One detail from this segment of the documentary that I thought was particularly interesting is that during the early 1900s, the streets of Manhattan became the stage for many protests and uprisings. In the last segment of the documentary, we saw the significant social and economic inequality which separated New Yorkers. Social reformers and muckrakers such as Jacob Riis significantly contributed to exposing the living conditions of more than half of New Yorkers in the late 19th century. This documentary proved that social reform is a powerful tool and it starts with us as individuals. Through photojournalism, Riis was able to fuel the greatest protests of New York history. Politicians, immigrants, and social leaders united in the early 1900s to confront the ugly side of capitalism, and to essentially bridge the gaps of social inequality. According to the documentary, every year the movement became more widespread, and eventually Theodore Roosevelt, who was governor of New York at the time, got involved. As a result of the tremendous efforts of thousands of New Yorkers, the early 1900s saw great improvement in urban housing and public health. Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation to outlaw old and unsafe tenement buildings. Moreover, public health services such as clinics were developed. Learning this made me proud to be a New Yorker. These events reminded me of 2011’s Occupy Wall Street movement. Evidently, the resilience and progressiveness of my fellow New Yorkers goes back further in history than I had initially thought.
One new detail that I learned from the documentary was that even though Union power was emerging and increasing, many of the major garment factory owners continued to be adamant about the way they conducted their businesses. I found it interesting that despite the 60,000 union members that came out to strike, some garment factory owners still refused to get give in and settle for the demands of their laborers. Even though union members the laborers were successful in striking and bringing owners to the bargaining table they were still to an extent, unsuccessful in changing the minds of owners. Eventually, the union and the owners came to a compromise called the Protocol of Peace. Despite this being the first step for unions, big companies like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company refused to sign it. I just find it interesting how companies can still neglect their laborers and not try to make changes despite having all their workers strike against them. Did these companies really not care about what their workers wanted?
One interesting detail I learned from watching this video is that Penn Station in New York City was built with influences from Ancient Rome, which related directly to New York’s large immigrant population. The building was important for its architectural aspects, and of course, its practical service to urban commuters. In a time where industrialization and urban expansion were emphasized in New York, arts and European culture were still able to establish a presence in the city, on display for all to see. Many immigrants certainly appreciated the classical style of the train station; this aspect of Penn Station’s design undoubtedly ingratiated the building with those adapting to life in New York City. And even since the opening of Penn Station, Roman culture has remained prevalent in the city today. Though buildings in Manhattan have taken on a more vertical form in recent times, some buildings still have features of Roman architecture, including arches, windows, and columns. Washington Park boasts a triumphal arch that is a perfect example of this.
The Hudson-Fulton Celebration was a really interesting event that I enjoyed watching in the documentary. The bright lights cast throughout New York City was a view I had never seen before in both past images and present-day images and really caught my attention. It was a 10-day celebration from September 25 to October 9, 1909, in New York and New Jersey and occurred 300 years after Henry Hudson first sailed into the harbor and also 100 years after Robert Fulton launched his steamboat on the west-side of Manhattan. The festival celebrated the great rise of the New York metropolis and of New York’s maritime achievements in general. The celebration was extremely popular with over a hundred thousand individuals coming to watch and Wilbur Wright flying an airplane near Statue of Liberty, which truly would’ve been a wonderful sight back then. My favorite part was the view of the million incandescent light bulbs donated by the Edison Company that created an amazing picture of the bridges and ships of New York. I truly have never seen a celebration on the caliber of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was an event that was mentioned in my United States history classes, but the event was never described in such thorough and raw detail as it was in the video. There were 200 women trapped in the building with no means of escape, and even though workers attempted to put the fire out, they were unable to. The fire was a horrific incident, but its true greater value is what it implies of the working conditions of the time. It was a major wake-up call to improve working conditions and give workers rights that the previously did not have. It is a type of milestone and the spark that accelerated the movement for worker’s rights and a set standard for working conditions.