07 September 2009

The story of Labor Day


The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.


[1] In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.


[2] Cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair.


[3] All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.


Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer.


The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades.

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