Uprising of the 20,000

In 1909 and 1910, the "Uprising of the 20,000" (1909-1910) was a strike of mostly female shirtwaist makers in New York City that was notable for its size, duration, and support from middle-class women.

‍. Kheel Center, Cornell University

During the 11-week strike, the women endured immense police brutality. Factory owners hired thugs, ex-prize fighters, and prostitutes to beat and intimidate the strikers on the picket lines. When the striking women fought back or attempted to picket, police routinely arrested them, often dragging them to court bruised, bandaged, and bloodied

‍ Global Non-Violent Action Database

A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on March 25, 1911, claimed the lives of 146 young women and men who could not escape from the burning building. Locked doors from the factory floor, broken fire escapes, poor communications within the factory, and inadequate firefighting equipment made the fire more lethal than it might have been, and that realization spurred cooperation between organized labor, government, and social reformers to institute unprecedented workplace inspection and regulation.

‍ Kheel Center, Cornell University