The first Monday of every September is a day that is unofficially acknowledged at the last day of summer.
Pools close up shop, parents get their kids ready for their first day of school and Halloween candy is stacked on grocery store shelves.
But what exactly is the reasoning behind Labor Day? Why do we get a day named after labor, off from work?
In addition to creating that last weekend of fun for your children, you can also teach them the importance of the history of Labor Day.
At the advent of the Industrial Revolution, men, women and children were forced to work anywhere from twelve to sixteen hour days in poor conditions, often working them to death or illness.
On September 5, 1882, disgruntled workers decided to stand up and march for their plight. Ten thousand workers marched in New York City to bring attention to the unkind conditions they had been working under, in hopes to cause their own revolution in the industries.
This infamous march set a trend for other workers all over the country. In the next twelve years, other states participated in similar marches during the first week of September to bring their working woes to the forefront of the public agenda.
Still, the government did nothing to help the tired and angry workers gain basic rights in the workplace. It would take something much more drastic to get the attention of those who could bring about change.
On May 11, 1894, that event took place.
A bloody and riotous protest took place in Chicago over the wage reductions and elimination of jobs within the Pullman Palace Car Company. A call to workers was made to boycott the railcars. Fifty thousand railway workers pulled out their services, bringing the railroad traffic in Chicago to an absolute standstill.
Forced to react, President Grover Cleveland sent in troops to break up the protest, which turned disastrous and violent. Regardless of the arrests and injuries, the nation could no longer deny worker’s rights needed to be re-evaluated and addressed.
That very same year, Labor Day was created by Congress to give labor workers a much-needed holiday to say thanks for their year-long hard work.
So each Labor Day when you and your family are firing up the grill for the last time and getting in that last swim before draining the backyard pool, remember to pat yourself on the back and sit down and relax! This is your day!
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