Every year, Americans celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in September. But what is the history behind this holiday? During the second half of the 19th century, growing industrialization meant that workers labored for increasingly long hours, often for low pay. In response, they organized labor unions, strikes and protests to achieve better working conditions and wages. Events such as the Homestead Strike of 1892 focused national attention on the issues workers faced. Many unions had started a tradition of celebrating "labor day" during September. This tradition was formalized by the U.S. government when Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894. Throughout the 20th century, workers made strides to ensure fair treatment on the job. Today, we continue observe this holiday in honor of the workforce.
(Note: The National Archives has an excellent Photo Analysis Worksheet for students to engage with what they see in photos. This resource would be useful for analyzing many photos on History.com.) |
Saturday, August 31, 2013
History of Labor Day: Short videos and background information
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