When Clara Lemlich arrived in America, she couldn't speak English. She didn't know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast. But that did not stop Clara. She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a factory. Clara never quit. And she never accepted that girls should be treated poorly and paid little. So Clara fought back. Fed up with the mistreatment of her fellow laborers, Clara led the largest walkout of women workers in the country's history. Clara had learned a lot from her short time in America. She learned that everyone deserved a fair chance. That you had to stand together and fight for what you wanted. And, most importantly, that you could do anything you put your mind to.
Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Linda @ Silly Little Mischief that encourages us to name the books we checked out of the library. Click here to see what others got this week.
such an interesting time! Sophia just read a historical fiction called Ashes of Roses about an Irish immigrant who works in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory when the fire happens
ReplyDeleteBecause I'm interested in history, the first thing I noticed when I picked up this 32-page picture book is an illustration near the middle showing the outside of a big building with comic-book bubbles coming from the windows of one upper floor saying, "Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!'
ReplyDeleteOn the side of the building is a sign saying "Triangle Waist Company," which is not mentioned anywhere in the story except in this illustration. In the two pages at the end for adults (or older children) is this sentence:
"Some companies refused to negotiate, notably the Triangle Waist Factory, where the following year hazardous conditions led to a fire that claimed 146 lives."