The History of Labor Day

Hooray! The banks, post offices and schools are shut down on the first Monday in September. The reason is because it is Labor Day. Many people know this to be true but do they know who founded Labor Day or why Labor Day was created? My guess would be that no they don't know who founded Labor Day or why Labor Day was created. Most people are just concerned with that if they work in a federal building (schools, banks, post offices) they get the day off.

Why was Labor Day created?

Labor Day was created in association of the labor movement. This day is dedicated to the social and economic values in which this country has become. In this dedication, the workers labor is contributions are observed that helped make this country's strength, prosperity and well-being come alive.

Who was the founding father of Labor Day?

To be quiet honest, there is a debate on whom was the actual founding father of Labor Day. However, many historians have the founding father narrowed down to two men. Evidence supports both men to be the founding father and they both came out at the same time. The only way to know for sure who the founding father would be is to travel back into time. These two men that could be the founding father are Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire.

Peter J. McGuire was a remarkable figure within the history of the labor movement. In 1877 McGuire helped win the Missouri's legislature for one of the first Bureau's of Labor Statistics. He established the United Brotherhood of Carpeteners and the Federation of Organized Trades and Labors Union. He is believed to created May Day which is the International Labor Day. It is said that McGuire did more to convince people that having a federal observance of laborers was possible. (American Federation of Labor 2010).

Peter J. McGuire's feats considered him the founding father but this was too be challenged by Matthew Maguire. Matthew Maguire's passion at the beginning of the labor movement was to get the worker's better working conditions and he led the first strike for shorter work days in the 1870's. He was an organizer of the Central Labor Union in New York and was the secretary of this organization. Maguire seems to put the idea of Labor Day into the note that he wrote to William S. Walsh's book Curiosities of Popular Customs. When another person wrote on the history of Labor Day there was a note of recommendation to Matthew Maguire " To Matthew Maguire, Secretary of the Central Labor Council of New York City belongs the credit for first actually putting the idea into execution". (The New Jersey Historical Society)

So many people believe that Matthew Maguire is the true founding father of the Labor Day. However, we can truly never know unless we travel back into time to know for sure.

The First Labor Day

The very first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City. However, it was not listed as a federal observance day until September 1885. The Central Labor Union encouraged other states to have a "workingman's holiday" and thus Labor Day was born.

Many people who don't know the history of Labor Day should really look it up because I have only provided the highlights. It has some interesting facts that I did not even know, that is, until I researched it. I, like so many other Americans just knew that Labor Day was a federal holiday where the banks, post offices, and schools were shut down. I did not know the founding father or the very first Labor Day. It surprised me at all the information that I have gained by a couple of words and a "click" of the mouse.