Lecture: Impact of 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Professor John McClymer of Assumption College was the featured speaker for the annual Westborough Civic Club lecture held in conjunction with the Westborough Historical Society. “Why We Remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” (1911) was held on Feb. 3, 2020.
Watch the presentation here.

In a sweatshop in Greenwich Village, New York, 146 garment workers, mostly immigrant women, lost their lives as exit doors had been locked by management. This tragedy helped initiate the International Ladies Garment Union, which fought for improved factory working conditions and workers’ rights.

The lecture was free and open to the public.