WINSTON WEEKLY^[1]

September 1, 2024

Vol. 2, No. 35

LABOR DAY LESSONS

From the 1882 march in Manhattan by more than 10,000 workers, to the Pullman Strike in the summer of 1884, to the Haymarket Square deaths in Chicago in 1886, there are many lessons to be learned from the events that led to Labor Day as a national holiday.[2] During the late 19^th century, workers transitioned from artisan to factory jobs, leading to what many viewed as a decline in the quality of life. President Grover Cleveland is said to have declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894 as a way “to make peace” with the working class.

For years after President Cleveland’s declaration, disputes over worker rights continued. In 1916, the Adamson Act established an eight-hour workday, and provided overtime pay for railroad workers, marking the first time the United States government regulated the labor conditions of non-government workers. In 1935, the National Labor Relations Act granted private-sector employees the right to join unions.

Today, the lessons of Labor Day are often lost in celebrations. From the unofficial “end of summer” to the unofficial “end of wearing white” to the “end of hot dog season”, Labor Day is filled with sales, parades, and cookouts.  Labor Day is the third most popular holiday for a cookout.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Take a closer look at the development of the labor movement in the late 19^th century, including shifts from a farming economy to an industrial one, westward expansion, and technological advances. For students in grades 5-8, the National Gallery of Art offers several activities to explore 19th-century life, including Down at the Farm and The Impact of Inventions. www.nga.gov/19th-Century.

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[1] Copyright September 1, 2024. Winston Weekly is a weekly newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles available at www.baylesandbruce.com or by e-mail at baylesandbruce@gmail.com. Please feel free to share with the appropriate attribute. Alysen’s views are her own.

[2] The resources for this newsletter include https://www.hot-dog.org, Katie Robinson’s August 26, 2019 article in Town & Country Magazine, www.history.com, and www.Hamilton.gilderlehrman.org.