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The ILGWU
The International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) sought to unionize workers employed in sewing shops---mainly Italian and Jewish women. Female garment workers stage and "Uprising of 20,000". One African American woman said, "It's a good thing, this strike is. It makes you feel like a real grown-up person." -
Ida Tarbell and Standard Oil
Ida Tarbell was born in western Pennsylvania in 1857. Her father, John D. Rockefeller was an oil producer. Tarbell wrote about how her father's company, Standard Oil, ruined small businesses. -
The IWW
The Industrial Workers of the World was founded by William Haywood in 1905. The IWW raised wages for African Americans from $1.25 to $4 a day. Thus, leading to strikes in many major cities. -
National Urban League
The National Urban League fought for the racial equality of African Americans. The NUL wanted to improve both the jobs and housing conditions for the African Americans. They also helped transport them from the South to the North. Despite their efforts, however, African Americans were still subjected to racism. -
Society of American Indians
Many middle-class American Indians demanded that they had the same rights as whites. This resulted in Dr. Carlos Montezuma criticizing the Bureau of Indian Affairs because they weren't properly managing Indian reservations. Wanting to improve the living conditions for American Indians, they led the way in improving their lives. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
On March 25, 1911, fire erupted within the New York Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Due to the fact that the eight-story building had a limited number of stairways, that plus the crowded work conditions made escape virtually impossible. Also, the owner of the company had for some reason locked the fire-escape doors, which resulted in sixty people jumping to their deaths.