Goodness! Half the month of August has slipped away. In two weeks, summer 2024 will end...culturally, that is, on the first Monday in September. For many Americans, particularly children and young adults, it represents the end of the summer and the start of the back-to-school season.
But how did we come to celebrate Labor Day--a day that pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers?
In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the U.S., the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories, and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts' wages.
People of all ages, particularly the impoverished and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities, and breaks. As manufacturing overtook agriculture as the main source of American employment, labor unions grew more prominent and vocal. they began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and pushed employers to negotiate hours and pay.
Many of these events turned violent during this period, including the infamous Haymarket Riot of 18886, in which several Chicago police officers and workers were killed. On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.
In the wake of massive unrest and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the D.C. and the territories. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.
Even today, more than a century later, the true founder of Labor Day has yet to be identified. Many credit Peter McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested Mathew Maguire, of the Central Labor Union.
Each time you receive a raise in your paycheck, enjoy a paid vacation, arrive home at a decent hour to be with family and friends, and work in a safe and sanitary environment, it is because American labor has raised our nation's standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known. It has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of democracy.
It is appropriate that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership--the American worker!
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Upcoming Release - "A Sleigh Ride For Claire"
He was the most stubborn and prideful man she’d ever met!
She was a busybody who stuck her nose in his business at every turn!
With Christmas on the horizon, Claire McAllister has far too much to do to entertain dreams of a husband and family. Even if she feels inclined to help Lincoln Wyse outwit his three mischievous young daughters, it's impossible to imagine the handsome widower seeing her as anything but a scolding schoolteacher.
Even though the pretty schoolteacher never turned a favorable eye to him, Linc Wyse’s heart skipped a beat whenever she pinned him with her mesmerizing green eyes. Beautiful or not, Claire McAllister was a meddling spinster who placed judgments on him and his family.
Yet, neither one can imagine how three little, mischievous matchmakers and a magical Christmas Eve sleigh ride will open their eyes to love…or how the Lord will awaken their faith and hope.
Sleigh Ride Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZLJP66W
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