As the summer draws to a close and we celebrate Labor Day, let us look at why it came to be. Aside from being the last long holiday of summer, we know it as Labor Day. This holiday was set up for a Monday of celebration. A day to celebrate the American workers.
Origin of Labor Day
During the period of America’s Industrial Revolution, it was a very hard time for America’s labor force. Times were dark, and people were overworked and underpaid.
Imagine it was at the peak of the Industrial Revolution in the United States. Workers were working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a pittance for a salary. They were just barely making a living. Some states had children five and six years old working in mills, factories, and mines! Yes, it was illegal, but it was allowed anyway. Adults did not earn a large salary, and these children were paid a fraction of what the adults were.
During this time, the people that were poor, particularly the newer immigrants, were working in unsafe and dangerous working conditions. They were working in places that did not have fresh air to breathe or sanitary facilities and were not given breaks.
Industrial and Manufacturing
Agriculture, which was the best employment at that time, was losing workers to manufacturing jobs. They were gaining momentum as the American Industrial Revolution moved forward. People were moving to jobs in manufacturing due to better pay and growth, but it had its own set of hardships. It was during the late 18th century that labor unions were formed and were pushing for better working conditions for the employees and making their concerns more prominent and vocal. Strikes and rallies against the working conditions were being held, forcing employers to renegotiate hours and pay.
Many of these strikes or rallies became violent. One such occurrence was the Haymarket Riot of 1886. During this riot several of Chicago’s policemen and workers were killed. Other such riots gave rise to a longstanding tradition. On September 5, 1882, around 10,000 workers took unpaid time off and marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. This was the first Labor Day parade in United States history.
On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. At this time Eugene V. Debs of the American Railroad Union called for a boycott of all Pullman railroad cars. This action was very detrimental to the railroad traffic nationwide. The union and the federal government worked together and sent troops to Chicago in order to break up the Pullman strike. A wave of riots began by this action. Unfortunately, it resulted in more than a dozen workers’ deaths.
Labor Day Becomes A Federal Holiday
This began a massive unrest with American workers. This stated the idea of having a “workingmen’s holiday.” It would be celebrated on the first Monday in September. It caught on across America, with several states making it legislation. It is not certain who was responsible for the idea to have a holiday. Some believe it was Peter J. McGuire, a founder of the American Federation of Labor, while others believe it was Matthew Maguire, Secretary of the Central Labor Union.
Congress, however, did not acknowledge it as a holiday for about 12 years later. It was during the watershed movement that laborers brought the holiday to the forefront and to the attention of the public. In order to bring together American workers and repair broken ties, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. President Grover Cleveland signed the law on June 28, 1894. It officially designated the first Monday of September, the holiday celebrating American workers, a legal holiday. This came to be known as Labor Day. As of today, more than a century later, the true founder of Labor Day has yet to be identified.
Labor Day Celebrations
The Labor Day holiday is now celebrated with parades, fireworks, bar-b-ques, and picnics. For many Americans it is a four-day holiday, thus extending summer for one last party for many. For the young and old alike, it brings a close to the summer season and the start of a new school year.
Canada joined America and set a workingmen’s holiday as well. They also have set the first Monday of September as their Labor Day holiday to honor their hard-working people.
Celebrating working people has become a holiday for many countries. May 1, better known as May Day, has become known as International Worker’s Day. It is celebrated in India, South Africa, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.
This Labor Day, take a few minutes to pause, and think about how the holiday came to be. Let’s be grateful for those that paved the way and fought for better pay and working conditions during those hard and bleak times. As Americans, we take so much for granted without thinking about what it meant for American workers over the years. We salute you all! May each of us enjoy this time with family and friends as we bring our summer season to an end.