Terence V. Powderly. The Library of Congress.

United States 1882

Synopsis

Labor Day, a national holiday in the United States, takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday honors the dignity of labor and celebrates the gains made by working people in their struggles for a better life. Although there have been controversies over the origins of the day, there is general agreement that it crystallized in the early 1880s and was embraced and celebrated by diverse forces in the labor movement. By the 1890s it had been recognized by a proliferating number of municipalities and states before being recognized by the federal government. Although it is a day of relaxation for many (as part of a "long weekend" that often allows for one final summer vacation), it has also been an annual "festival of rejoicing," according to Peter J. McGuire, a labor...