7-Working Conditions in Factories

WORKING CONDITIONS in Factories : 

WORKING CONDITIONS in Factories What were working conditions like in factories during the Industrial Age?

Do Now : 

Do Now 1. “Children should not have to do hard, physical work.” 2. “Women should not have to do hard, physical work.” 3. “It is the job of a business owner to make sure his workers are safe at all times.” 4. “Business owners should pay if an accident happens at their business.” 5. “Business owners should pay if an accident happens at their business THAT THEY COULD HAVE STOPPED.”

Notes : 

Notes 1. After moving to America, many immigrants faced the following difficulties: A. they could not afford good housing B. Jobs did not pay enough money C. It was hard for them to fit in and learn English

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2. Immigrants who worked in factories also had to deal with horrible working conditions.

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3. During the Industrial Revolution, factory workers were forced to: A. work long hours B. work in very dangerous conditions C. work for VERY, VERY low pay In what ways might these machines be dangerous to work with?

Notes : 

Notes 4. Factory workers did not have the following rights: A. Right to negotiate wages B. right to negotiate hours C. right to request improved working conditions We have NO rights. If we complain about our jobs, they’ll just fire us!

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5. Many of the factory workers were women and young children.

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6. In 1911, a fire killed 149 at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan because:

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A. A piece of fabric caught on fire and spread quickly since the place was so messy This is the factory before the fire. Notice all the scraps of flammable fabric all over the floor.

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B. the entrance was blocked so workers could not escape Who or what does this cartoon blame for the door being blocked?

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C. there were no fire escapes.

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7. This incident showed Americans the dangers and challenges of being a poor factory worker.

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Document 2 : 

Document 2 My name is Sadie Frowne. I am sixteen years old. I work in Manhattan in what they call a sweatshop. I am new at the work and my boss scolds me a great deal. I work at the sewing machines from 5:30 in the morning until 7:00 at night. I get paid $1.50 a week. The machines go like mad all day. Sometimes in my haste I get my finger caught in the sewing machine and the needle goes right through it. It goes so quick, though. I bind the finger up with a piece of cotton and go on working. We all have accidents like that. The machines are all run by foot power. I must pedal the machines all day long. At the end of the day I feel so very weak. I feel like I must lie right down and sleep. But you must go out and get air, and have some pleasure. So instead of lying down I go out, generally with Henry. I like him a lot, and lately he has been pressuring me to get married. But I think I’ll wait. I have a long life to live. From Out of the Sweatshops by Leo Stein, © 1974

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Document 3 On the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a small piece of cloth caught fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan. The fire quickly spread to the thousands of little pieces of cloth were spread around the factory. Soon, the 500 women and girls who worked at the factory were trapped. On the main floor of the factory, there was only one fire exit. The workers at the Triangle Factory quickly rushed to the exit, choking on smoke and clawing at the door in a desperate attempt to escape. However, the management had locked it to prevent girls from escaping. Bodies piled up in front of the exit as the young girls choked to death on the toxic smoke. With no way out, factory workers on the 7th floor began jumping out windows. They knew they faced a certain death, but they were desperate to escape the scorching flames. 148 young women and girls—between the ages of 16 and 25—died in the fire. Authorities concluded that the fire could have been avoided if the factory had a working fire escape, had not locked its emergency exit, or had cleaned up its crowded floors.

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