I have strong feelings about the unsafe working conditions in the 1800's and the 1900's. I feel that the things people had to go through each day were not only too physically demanding, but mentally demanding as well. They were forced to do un-human things to keep themselves and their families alive. I am going to share these things with you as well as what could we do to prevent this. .
First let me give you a little background on a sweatshop; where most of what I'm talking about happens. *The World Book Encyclopedia defines Sweatshop as a term for a makeshift factory where poverty-stricken people worked at top speed for 12 or more hours a say in an effort to earn a living wage. These sweatshops were not that big of a problem until 1880, when large numbers of immigrants began to come to America. Who could cause all these problems? Big factory owners, that's who. Sweatshop owners took advantage of the immigrant's ignorance and poverty and successfully got them to work for very low wages, obscene hours, and terrible conditions. Some industries that used sweatshops were cigar-making, clothing, medical and needlework industries. .
Also most of these buildings were poorly designed for emergencies, as we later find out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Many times, rooms that were designed for only lets say 100 people held over 220 people. Machines were all over the place and usually crowded together. There was usually only one or two stairs and elevator, and only one fire exit. .
The two main things that were associated with the working conditions were long hours and low pay. In 1910, 70% of all American industrial laborers worked an average of 54 hours a week. The 10 hour, 6 day a week became the average working period in U.S. and European factories. It wasn't till the 1930's that the 5 day, 40 hour work week came into effect. .
Another big factor in the working conditions was the machinery. Many of it was old, dangerous, and over all unsafe.
