Labor Day

Labor Day in the United States honors the contribution that workers have made to the country and is observed on the first Monday of September.

Why is it important?

Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday, eventually instituted in 1894, to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being.

Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events.

The Industrial Revolution

Long work days

In the late 1800, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks to support basic living conditions. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts' wages.

People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.

The protests

As manufacturing increasingly supplanted agriculture as the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay.

source: History.com

The Very First Labor Day

September 5, 1882

The very first Labor Day was held on a Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. The day was celebrated with a picnic, concert and speeches. Ten thousand workers marched in a parade from City Hall to Union Square.

Chicago and the Haymarket Riot

The roots of Labor Day grew out of violent clashes between labor and police during the Haymarket Riot in 1886, when thousands of workers in Chicago took to the streets to demand an eight-hour workday. When approximately 175 policemen approached with an order to disperse the meeting, a dynamite bomb was thrown into their ranks.

At least eight people died as a result of the violence that day. Despite a lack of evidence against them, eight radical labor activists were convicted in connection with the bombing.

A powerful symbol

Over the years, the site of the Haymarket bombing has become a powerful symbol for a diverse cross-section of people, ideals and movements. Its significance touches on the issues of free speech, the right of public assembly, organized labor, the fight for the eight-hour workday, law enforcement, justice, anarchy and the right of every human being to pursue an equitable and prosperous life.

Did you know?

A Sculpture Commemorates the Haymarket Affair

175 N. Desplaines St., Chicago, IL 60661

Drawing on the symbolism of the wagon used as the speakers' platform during the meeting organized the day of the Riot, this sculpture by Mary Brogger marks the precise location where the wagon stood, and where the historic events occurred.

Who Created Labor Day?

Labor Day was declared a National Holiday under President Cleveland, however the true founder of Labor Day has yet to be identified.

Many credit Peter J. McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested that Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first proposed the holiday.