Articles by Ann Woodbury Moore |
Updated
16 Oct 2006
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| The Labor Day holiday is one of the best-known
achievements of America's labor movement. Children and adults
look forward to the first Monday in September as the last chance
for recreation before fall and the new school year. Labor Day
was created, however, to honor the contributions of working men
and women.
The first Labor Day celebration occurred in New York City on
September 5, 1882. Four months earlier, the Central Labor Union
(CLU, part of the Knights of Labor) had voted to hold a "monster
labor festival." Early September was chosen because it was
halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving and the
weather was still warm. The CLU's goals were to give workers a
day off, to bring difficult working conditions to public
attention, and to demonstrate organized labor's strength and
unity.
Nobody knew whether the first Labor Day would be successful.
Many workers were warned not to participate, and ninety percent
of the unions would not commit themselves. When the parade left
City Hall at 10 A.M., there were only four hundred marchers. As
the parade proceeded along its route, accompanied by brass bands
and horse-drawn wagons displaying crafts, more and more laborers
joined in. The final count was more than ten thousand. Nearly
fifty thousand people then gathered at Elm Park for picnicking,
speeches, dancing, concerts, and fireworks. |
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| After such a triumphant start, Labor Day became an
annual event. Oregon was the first state to recognize it, in
1887. By 1894, when President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a
federal holiday, thirty states honored it. It is now a holiday
in every state.
Labor Day celebrations have changed considerably since 1882.
In the past, workers often used parades to protest unfair work
practices. They carried signs with slogans such as "Eight
Hours Constitutes a Day's Work," "Stop Child
Labor," and "Shorter Hours, Fairer Pay." Labor
leaders reviewed past developments and outlined future goals.
Politicians took advantage of Labor Day activities to boost
their visibility.
Some companies and unions still observe the Labor Day weekend
with special celebrations, such as barbecues or athletic
contests. The connection between Labor Day and the labor
movement has diminished, however, as workers' lives have
improved. For most Americans today, Labor Day primarily marks
the end of summer. |
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Originally published in COBBLESTONE'S October 1992 issue, page
14. Copyright COBBLESTONE
Publishing 1992, 1999. All rights reserved.
Reprinted in the Illinois State Board of Education's Illinois
State Assessment test, published by MetriTech, Inc., as well as
the Voluntary National Test in 4th Grade Reading pilot test
published by Riverside Publishing Company.
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