The story von Drehle tells about the Triangle Factory Fire is largely a story of 1) immigrants during a time of huge economic growth in America and 2) the changing relationship between workers and business (employers) in America. Read this short overview about immigration issues in America: Digital History: Evaluating the Economic Costs and Benefits of Immigration. You will find many of the same issues are debated today about immigration in America.
Write an essay in which you use at least three aspects of the story von Drehle tells about the Triangle Factory (ex., living conditions for immigrants, working conditions of workers, attempts by workers to unionize, the fire, the city corruption that provided a context for business) to discuss the issues posed in the short overview; namely, were the immigrants who worked at the Triangle Factory ultimately an asset to America or not? If so, in what ways did they contribute to American life? If not, why not?
Remember to give concrete examples from the reading to illustrate your ideas and “prove” them to your reader. This paper should focus on critical analysis by answering the questions above, making comparisons, and presenting and defending your thesis and arguments. Rather than just stating the facts, this approach explains and interprets them. Why did the Triangle Fire take place, what were the consequences, and how did it relate to other developments in American history? Why did the authors you read take differing stands? What is your own interpretation of the issues? If you need to review the historical context, please consult the Resources page in this module for help with external research.
A helpful note for writing history papers: Few assignments in history courses will be simply descriptive. Rather than just summarizing what happened or what you read, you will usually be asked to provide your own analysis of the topic or issue about which you are writing and to argue a thesis or conclusion. Be sure that you understand what each assignment requires, in terms of the balance between description, analysis, and argument.
Your essay should be 4-5 pages. Please remember to create a title for your essay, and cite all sources, including the von Drehle book, using either Chicago, MLA, or APA styles. For additional information about expectations, see the course page Tips for Completing Written Assignments.
