The History of Labor Day

As we enjoy Labor Day, let’s not forget the true reason behind the holiday.

During the Industrial Revolution, many Americans worked for as long as 12 hours a day and as young as five-years-old.

In efforts to provide better working conditions, unions were formed and rallies were started.

In 1894, Congress signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year Labor Day, national holiday.

After Labor Day was formed, improvements were made for laborers like the eight-hour work days we have today.

Brianna Williams, the museum curator at Beauvoir, stresses the importance of acknowledging the history behind the holiday and the contributions workers made to society. “I feel like it is important for us to have a day to reflect and recognize where we’ve come from because that’s a part of history and how we measure how far we’ve come by comparing it to the past and looking at where we are now.”