- Papers should be 3-5 pages in length, in Times New Roman 12 point or equivalent font.
- DO NOT use Wikipedia or other unreliable internet sources.
- Sources should be cited in MLA format.
- All sources must be cited in the paper and the bibliography. This includes direct quotations as well as ideas that are derived from sources that are not your own.
Watch this film
http://www.wgbh.org/programs/American-Experience-97/episodes/Triangle-Fire-24971
The Triangle Fire was one of the most deadly workplace disasters in American history and stimulated an array of reforms aimed to improve workplace safety. In this way, the impact of the Triangle Fire is representative of the Progressive Era and its attempts to reform society and business practices to improve living conditions. Despite this tragedy, and despite the efforts implemented to prevent similar occurrences, the workplace remains a dangerous place. Indeed, the recent collapse of textile factories in Bangladesh that trapped and killed hundreds of workers are reminiscent of the Triangle disaster. Perhaps the workplace is dangerous in other ways now, too.
For this assignment, you should write a clear and coherent paper that compares the conditions that led to the Triangle Fire in 1911 to contemporary workplace conditions that might create or might have created similar disasters. Why did and do such disasters occur? How were workers being treated? Can regulations help protect workers? In order to answer such questions (and you do not have to answer all of these questions, nor do these have to be the only questions you answer), you should draw on the film you watched (Triangle Fire), How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis (available online), and two sources that you identify that relate to the contemporary situation (an example might be two news stories about the factory collapse in Bangladesh).
Your paper MUST use a minimum of four sources. Appropriate sources can be found through the library website/card catalog or through other reputable search engines and websites. Do not use as sources that you cite: encyclopedias (including Wikipedia), search engines (like Google), or textbooks (including our assigned text). Such sources are good places to go to get started to find background information, but the sources you should be using for your paper should contain substantial information derived from reputable sources.
Your paper should make an argument about workplace safety, changes to it, and regulations. It should have a thesis statement, an introduction and a conclusion, and include citations for all sources consulted (you may cite in any format with which you feel comfortable, as long as you are consistent).
Formatting guidelines:
- Papers must have a bibliography or works cited page that lists ALL the citations used in the paper.
- All words that are taken directly (word for word) from a source must be in quotation marks and cited.
- Sources should be cited in MLA format.
- All sources must be cited in the paper and the bibliography. This includes direct quotations as well as ideas that are derived from sources that are not your own.
