Labor Day explained: Depressing and violent origins
Labor Day has a deeper meaning than just the end of summer. It marks a turning point in U.S. labor history, even one with a violent beginning.
USA TODAY
For many, Labor Day marks the end of summer and the beginning of the school year.
But do you know what this holiday means and when it began? The history of the holiday dates back to the mid-19th century, and there is even some controversy about who actually started this holiday that celebrates the American labor movement.
“American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever seen, and the labor movement has brought us closer to realizing our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is fitting, therefore, that on Labor Day the nation should pay tribute to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom and leadership – the American worker,” the U.S. Department of Labor said in a statement.
Here’s what you need to know about the holiday.
When is Labor Day 2024?
Labor Day is always celebrated on the first Monday in September. This year the holiday falls on Monday, September 2nd.
What is Labor Day?
The purpose of the holiday, according to the Department of Labor, is to celebrate the “social and economic achievements of American workers.”
Since when is Labor Day a holiday?
Labor Day officially became a federal holiday when Congress passed a law on June 28, 1894.
Previously, it was recognized by union activists and individual states, according to the Labor Department.
Who started Labor Day?
This is controversial. The Department of Labor stated that certain records show that in 1882, a New York worker named Peter Maguire “proposed that a day be set aside as a ‘general holiday for the working class.'”
The agency noted, however, that many people believe that a machinist named Matthew Maguire – no relation – invented the holiday. Matthew Maguire was also from New York.
“Recent research appears to support the claim that Matthew Maguire, later secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York,” the Labor Department said in a statement.
