The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire - In America They Don’t Let You Burn | 4

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2019

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the wake of the biggest workplace catastrophe in the city of New York, the survivors of the Triangle fire and the families of the victims could only watch from the sidelines as the case against the Triangle bosses went to trial. The 146 deaths resulting from the fire had been sifted through the state’s legal machine and condensed into a single woman: a 24-year-old sewing machine operator named Margaret Schwartz.

In December 1911, the general sessions court presided over by Judge Thomas Crain heard the People of New York vs. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris. The prosecution had a strong piece of physical evidence and a compelling witness. But Harris and Blanck had a lawyer whose courtroom rhetoric might get his clients off scot-free.

If you enjoyed American History Tellers, be sure to check out Lindsay Graham’s other shows, American Scandal and American Elections: Wicked Game.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon Music,
0:05.6	download the app today.
0:09.0	Imagine it's a bright late spring morning in 1905.
0:22.1	You've come to City Hall to meet with safety commissioner Thomas Crane, who oversees the
0:26.5	New York Tenement House Department.
0:28.6	Normally, Crane's a nice enough fellow, but you work for the mayor's office, and today,
0:33.0	the mayor has sent you to deliver some bad news.
0:35.6	Good morning, Thomas.
0:37.0	How much longer till this session starts?
0:39.4	Crane looks up at you from his bench in the hallway.
0:41.9	He's clearly upset like he knows what's coming.
0:44.4	Still another half hour.
0:45.8	And I suppose you know by now what you have to do.
0:49.5	Crane looks up at you in his eyes, Nero.
0:51.6	You're gonna have to resign, Thomas.
0:53.5	It wasn't my fault.
0:54.5	You know that as well as anyone.
0:55.8	I did the best I could.
0:57.9	My inspectors kept those fire scapes clear, but as soon as they left, the tenants just
1:02.3	move their mattresses right back onto them.
1:05.3	You know what he's saying is true.
1:07.2	It's impossible to truly enforce anything in those slum districts.
	...

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