Short history about the origin of Labor Day.
"A Peaceful Protest That Turned Violent
An eight-hour work day wasnât always the golden standard: Two centuries ago, American workers often clocked double digits at physically demanding and often unsafe jobsâsomething workers protested on September 5, 1882 in the first Labor Day parade, in which approximately 10,000 people peacefully marched from New Yorkâs City Hall, the New York Times archives show.
In the years that followed, protests continued, says Shannon M. Risk, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Niagara University. âIn early May 1886, after a series of peaceful protest meetings, the police attacked protesters in Chicago on May 3,â she says. âA protest meeting was scheduled for May 4, 1886, but a bomb sparked violence and the police rounded up âanarchistâ suspects.â
Some of those suspects were sentenced to death, Risk says, and âafter these events, labor unions in the United States felt that the state and federal governments did not support workers but rather the corrupt corporate interests.â"
Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894. President Grover Cleveland marked the day to honor the achievements and contributions of U.S. workers.