The Voice of Southwest Louisiana September 2017 Issue

SWLA education
Labor Day:
A Look at
the History
By Tori Hebert
Labor Day has multiple meanings.
For some, it means a day off
from work and quality time at
the family B-B-Q. Some children around
the country know that Labor Day means
summer is over and it’s time to get back
to the books. And for the fashion forward,
Labor Day is the last expectable day to
wear white clothing. No matter where
Labor Day finds you, you are bound to
see retail sales, family gatherings, and
football games. It’s one last hoorah for
summer and a warm welcome to the
fall. The long weekend we enjoy today
formed during hard times in American
history.
Labor Day finds its roots at the height
of the Industrial Revolution. Twelvehour
work days were normal and it was
no surprise to see children as young as
5 working around heavy machinery and
factory tools. It was strenuous work, but it
had to be done for families to just barely
get by. During this time, labor unions saw
exponential growth. The unions were
formed to push for better hours, higher
wages, and better working conditions.
A major function to spread the word
and raise attention to these goals were
rallies and worker strikes. One of the most
famous of these events is the Haymarket
Riot of 1886.
This gathering started out peaceful
but ended with multiple deaths after
a bomb was thrown in to the crowd
and police opened fire. Another notable
trial of the time was the Pullman railway
car boycott. Railway traffic was stalled
and the federal government would
eventually send in military troops to end
the boycott. This in turn caused riots in
multiple areas and left thousands dead.
The first Labor Day was celebrated
on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. On
this day, workers took unpaid time off
to enjoy time outside and to march in
New York City. This event was repeated
again the next year and rapidly gained
popularity in multiple cities.
Twelve years later in 1894, the federal
government made Labor Day a
national holiday. The September date
was chosen to be consistent with its
previous celebrations, and because it
was a convenient place between Fourth
of July and Thanksgiving. The Haymarket
Riot and the Pullman boycott, which both
took place in May, are also believed to
have had influence on keeping our Labor
Day from being a spring holiday.
As we look forward to fun in the sun, we
must never forget the ones who came
before us that paved the way for what we
enjoy today.
To learn more about Labor Day
check out:
Here’s Why We Celebrate Labor
Day from Time.com
Labor Day from History.com
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September 2017 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 5 • Number 2