Day by day phần 2
Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social & economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday khổng lồ recognize the many contributions workers have made lớn America’s strength, prosperity, & well-being.
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Early Adopters
Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists và individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 & 1886, a movement developed lớn secure state legislation. Thành phố new york was the first state khổng lồ introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and thủ đô new york – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, & on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
McGuire v. Maguire: Who Founded Labor Day?
Who first proposed the holiday for workers? It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim khổng lồ the Founder of Labor Day title.
Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners & a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a "general holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude nature have delved và carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire"s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday.
Recent research seems to tư vấn the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the 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.
According to lớn the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that "the souvenir pen should go to lớn Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed tác giả of Labor Day as a holiday." Both Maguire & McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in thủ đô new york City that year.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in thủ đô new york City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, & on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
A Nationwide Holiday
Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to lớn exhibit "the strength và esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation & amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.
Speeches by prominent men & women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic và civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday & dedicated khổng lồ the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living & contributed to lớn the greatest production the world has ever known and the labor movement has brought us closer khổng lồ the realization of our traditional ideals of economic & political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day lớn the creator of so much of the nation"s strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.
