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Sept. 2, is Labor Day in the United States, always observed the first Monday in September. In its official declaration, we learn that “Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late 19th century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.”1
The holiday was originally proposed to commemorate and celebrate the essential contributions of the American working class, specifically laborers, tradesmen, and manufacturing workers. The father of Labor Day is now widely recognized to be Matthew Maguire, who proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. (For fun facts on the nearly disastrous first Labor Day celebration in New York city, click here.)
Though New York was the first to introduce a bill for an official Labor Day holiday, Oregon was the first state to make it legal in 1887. After being adopted at the state level by 23 states in the U.S., President Grover Cleveland signed the law that made Labor Day a national holiday in June 1994.
Since then, it has been celebrated with parades, picnics, and gatherings with family and friends. It has become a holiday to celebrate all American workers, regardless of industry or position, and has come to mark the unofficial end of Summer.
The American worker has built and will continue to build, the United States of America. They are the shoulders upon which our national economy and personal livelihoods rest. Here’s to the American worker. Happy Labor Day.
References
1. History of Labor Day, U.S. Department of Labor.
