Americans love to celebrate Labor Day as our last summer hurrah, with many heading outdoor with our favorite refreshments. However, how many people consider why we celebrate this one day above all others in September? The teacher in me wants to know, I'm in research mode and taking you with me. Let's find the reason behind this holiday.
Why do we celebrate?
According
to the U.S. Department of Labor, our day of picnics, barbecues, and
parades was created over a century ago to celebrate American
laborers. I think you will agree that a national holiday is a
much better tribute to our workers than a statue in some park—much
better.
Nevertheless, why would
we create a national holiday just to celebrate people doing a job and receiving
a paycheck? The premise seems a bit odd since many of us are just happy
to find a job that offers pay. To find out, lets' look back in
history.
What were the historical events that led to creating Labor
Day?
Back
in the day – the late 1800s – the US was deep into our Industrial
Revolution. These were the days that most everyone worked 12-hour
days every day for very little pay in unsafe environments. Most
everyone included children, some as young as five years old were earning much less
than their older counterparts.
A
pendulum can only swing one way for so long before it must return to
equilibrium. In this case, the swing back required the power of
joined forces. Consequently, unions were born. This type
of organized group had much more power to affect change, but change came slowly
and with great pain. In order to flex this new muscle, unions
organized protests and marches. Some spawned ugly outbursts like
the Haymarket
Riot of 1886, in which many people died. However, one march
sparked the idea of Labor Day.
It
was September of 1882 and thousands of workers marched in New York City in what
they called a "Labor Day Parade". The idea took hold and
some states adopted the holiday. It took another 12 years for
Congress to designate it as a national holiday.
Who was the genius who gave us the day off work?
The answer to the question
about the responsible party isn't quite clear. There's somewhat of a
historical tug of war between two important characters. Many had
thought it was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor.
However,
many now believe it was Matthew Maguire, machinist and the secretary of Local
344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J. It very
well could have been Mr. Maguire, because he did serve as secretary
of the Central Labor Union in New York in 1882 when they
approved a proposal for the holiday and organized the first historic Labor Day
Parade – more of a march – in New York.
What
do we do now?
With
all my questions answered I'm done here. Off to the barbie! Enjoy
your holiday!
Women's History
Month: Who is Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman (1892-1926)
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