Labor Day (Sep. 2)

Labor Day has its origins in the late 1800s, when many Americans—including children—worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, often in brutal and dangerous conditions. On September 5, 1882, an estimated 10,000 workers in New York marched in protest, calling for “Less Work and More Pay,” including an eight-hour workday and a ban on the forced work of imprisoned people. Although municipalities and states adopted legislation to recognize Labor Day in the years that followed, it was not until 1894 when Eugene V. Debs organized the Pullman Strike—bringing Midwest train service to a near standstill—that President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a national holiday. Throughout U.S. history, many people have dedicated their lives to fighting for workers’ rights, including labor activists A. Phillip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and Rose Schneiderman.