What springs to mind when you think of Labor Day? Perhaps it’s a paid day off work, an afternoon of bargain hunting, the end of summer or a good time for a vacation. Amidst the range of recreational possibilities that this holiday presents, its roots are often forgotten. So take a journey through the history of Labor Day, which this year falls on September 5.
In 1882, at the peak of the Industrial Revolution, some 10,000 workers assembled on September 5 in New York City to participate in America’s first Labor Day Parade. The march began at City Hall, proceeded up Broadway and filed past the reviewing stand at Union Square Park. It continued uptown to 42nd Street and ended at Wendel’s Elm Park, where participants enjoyed an unpaid day off work consisting of leisure and enlightenment. This “Labor Day” demonstration, organized by New York’s Central Labor Union and representatives of other local unions, was a form of protest against the harsh working conditions, hours and pay many American citizens experienced during that era.
It was common during the Industrial Revolution for workers to labor 12 hours a day, often seven days a week, for only enough compensation to scrape by with basic necessities. Labor restrictions for children equated to limiting work hours, meaning that children as young as 5 years old would sweat away in unhealthy working conditions including mills, factories and even mines. Children ages 9 to 13 were only allowed to work eight hours a day, while those ages 14 to 18 could work no more than 12 hours a day.
Of course, children would earn only a portion of the wages garnered by their adult counterparts, and they were only required to attend school for a whopping two hours a day. These restrictions increased more and more as time and efforts progressed, and by the 20th century, child labor in the United States had significantly decreased.
