Origins of the Labor Day Holiday

This article is a repost from Labor Day 2019. I thought it was interesting enough to repost due to the unrest around the country not unlike is reported from 1886. JMc 

MrsMac often describes yours truly as a cesspool of worthless information. To be consistent with her description of me lets discuss the origins of Labor Day and May Day.

May 1, 1886 a general protest was called for across America, striking for an 8-hour workday. An estimated 300,000 people participated in the national protest. On May 4, 1886 the protests reached its zenith in Chicago when police moved in to break up a labor unionist gathering in the Haymarket section of the city. As the police charged the protesters with batons someone threw a bomb into the middle of the police push. The police responded with gunfire firing into the crowd. This event has been labeled the Haymarket affair. To add to the Haymarket drama on May 5, 1886 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, State Militia fired upon labor demonstrations killing seven there

When the Haymarket melee was over there were seven police officer’s dead along with four civilians; sixty police officers were injured, and an unknown number of civilians. Later the leaders of the strike were rounded up and were put on trial. When it was all said and done four were executed by hanging post the trial.

In 1889, a meeting was held by the First Congress of the Second International held in Paris. The congress called for a worldwide demonstration on May 1, 1890 to mark the day of the Haymarket affair.

Moving ahead 18-years post the “Chicago Incident” the International Socialist Congress while convened in Amsterdam, called on all social democrat organizations and trade unions around the globe to demonstrate with fervor on the First day of May, again to bring about the 8-hour work day and universal peace. Since then, May Day has been a point of focus for social democrats, communists, and dictatorial governments around the globe.

Not to be outdone, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to Saint Joseph in 1955. It is a truly worldwide celebration for the Left.

Matthew Maguire a machinist proposed a Labor Day celebration holiday across the United States in 1882 to be held the first Monday of September while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York City. Others suggest that Peter McGuire of the American Federation of Labor did likewise in the same year.

Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day an official public holiday in 1887. By 1894 Labor Day was celebrated in 30-states, some on the first Monday of September while others on May 1. The Federal government acknowledged the holiday and deemed it to be celebrated the first Monday in September rather than May 1.

Labor Day for most of us represents not a day to celebrate the workers of the United States and Canada but a day to celebrate or morn the end of the summer. The day is typically celebrated with some Labor Union parades, back yard barbecues, and taking care of the final touches of ones “go back to school” duds and supplies.

Labor Day weekend for me was always a mournful holiday as it meant the ending of summer freedoms and a return to structure – Ala school, which I hated with a passion. It also meant goodbye to friends and family as we all returned to the structure of the upcoming fall and winter months till the freedoms commence again at the end of school the coming year.

You now know the whole story and you too can be a cesspool of worthless information at your Labor Day picnic table.

Freedom Through Self-Reliance

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By Published On: September 7, 2020Categories: History10 Comments on Origins of the Labor Day Holiday

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10 Comments

  1. Anonymous September 2, 2019 at 12:10

    5

  2. MW PREPPER September 2, 2019 at 12:50

    I usually refer to it as junk knowledge. Just like junk food, I might add. Yes, I still remember Labor Day as one of mourning the end of summer & the beginning of 9 months of incarceration aka compulsory education. The only problem I have with national holidays is the next day. It means returning to work & catching up & then getting back on schedule. All in 8 hours! Even today, I’m engaged in domestic labor as I get the house & yard ready for fall & winter. Then a shopping trip to boot. Good article, for the most part. Who knows, I might someday get on a quiz show & question about Labor Day will be asked. More than likely, I’ll answer it correctly & could win a big prize!
    Just keep churning out all that real knowledge stuff, on prepping, guns, homesteading, amateur radio, etc. As I’ve previously mentioned here, I’m not planning for retirement but preparing for the worst case scenario. Every bit of relative information will help me survive somehow or someway. By the way, the only real retirement is permanent. I’m sure you know what I mean. Have a great Labor Day & just be glad you don’t have to go to school any more!
    73

    • johnyMac September 2, 2019 at 14:28

      Well thank you MW Prepper for your recollection of days past as you wrote, Yes, I still remember Labor Day as one of mourning the end of summer & the beginning of 9 months of incarceration aka compulsory education.

      I am retired from having a boss about three-years ago; five-years before most folks do. My new boss – Other than the good Lord and MrsMac – is me. I now do all the things I never had a chance to do during my many years of servitude.

      As I type, I have 20-pounds of Amish Paste tomatoes on the stove breaking them down for some Italian gravy. The goal is to put away 25 to 30-pint jars when I am all said and done; Consequently, I will be doing this part of the procedure two more times until I pull up the tomato plants and till the garden for the fall.

      The tomatoes, garlic, and basil will all come from our garden too. Now that is retirement. \”/

      Peace Brother and thanks again for your comments.
      JohnyMac

      • Michael September 7, 2020 at 09:35

        Away from the “holiday chatter” to gardening since you brought that enjoyable theme up :-)

        Have you given thought to growing wheat JonnyMac? It’s not that hard as pre-iron age folks successfully fed cities with it. It’s a grass after all, selected for good eating seeds.

        A recent technique I found useful was mulching your stand of wheat with shredded leaves as they first green up. Helps keep the “Tares” out of your Wheat and feeds the soil for next year. Don’t use Oak leaves because they are allopathic to non-oaks nor pine needles in bulk. A hand scythe can cut the wheat for straw and grain. A 5 gallon pail, a drill with a threaded rod, some dog chain, some washers and locking nuts makes a grain flail, a toss basket and a fan or strong breeze a chaff remover (to the ABSOLUTE Delight of the chickens!!) and you have wheat berries to eat OR plant for next year. I was very surprised how much a 10 foot by 20 foot Pasta Garden will generate and how simple it was to do it. I did it 3 years ago and still have a half a pail of wheat waiting for planting or bread. Honestly if I hadn’t cheated with buying pasta and bread I’d eaten it in a year or so but what fun to tell folks THIS Meal ALL came from my little happy acres.

        My plantings of winter wheat this year started with using light blocking tarps to cover the field grasses ongoing right now. Once they die off in a couple of weeks an iron rake and hand seeding occurs. Shredded leaves and watering to keep them from blowing south of the winter works pretty well with my wooded acres. I’m thinking of a middle of the field walking path to help find and remove the few weeds before they get busy.

        Then with a hand grinder (I know you have) and a little water you can make your own Pasta for that lovely Red Gravy your growing-canning. Just add some ground meat and off you go! A little sourdough culture and some home grown garlic your well on your way to a happy feast with garlic bread. Ground wheat plus water and lard = flour tortillas. Bread IS the Staff of Life.

        Ecclesiastes 5:18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

        Unlike electronic “Wealth” it’s pretty hard for Socialist-Communists-Democrats (but I am repeating myself) and most politicians in general to steal your Skills, physical tangible wealth as in foods and best of all trusted friends.

        Proverbs 21:20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

        They had silver and gold coins but Solomon’s proverb is about a store of food. Many scriptures about no food to be bought Hosea 8:7 speak to this. Congress can add all the electronic digits to those EBT cards it wants to “Soothe the Mobs” BUT they cannot produce food to buy with that EBT card. Something to think about when all the Electronic “Money” cannot find a loaf of bread to buy.

        Then real troubles will stalk our battered Republic as “Mommy I’m HUNGRY” is the song of the land.

  3. vyt1az September 3, 2019 at 00:03

    You wrote: “Not to be outdone, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to Saint Joseph in 1955. It is a truly worldwide celebration for the Left.”

    The celebration of “St. Joseph the Worker” is a celebration for the Left? Coincidentally right around this same time period we’ve got all of these Papal quotes:

    1. December 8, 1849; Pope Pius IX; Encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum: “You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings.”

    2. June 29, 1881; Pope Leo XIII; Encyclical Diuturnum: “…communism, socialism, nihilism, hideous deformities of the civil society of men and almost its ruin.”

    3. August 25, 1910; Pope St Pius X; Encyclical Notre Charge Apostolique: “…the audacity and frivolity of men who call themselves Catholics and dream of re-shaping society under such conditions… eyes fixed on a chimera, brings Socialism in its train.”

    4. November 1, 1914; Pope Benedict XV; Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum “…not our intention here to repeat the arguments which clearly expose the errors of Socialism … Leo XIII, most wisely did so in truly memorable Encyclicals…take the greatest care that those grave precepts are never forgotten”

    5. May 15, 1931; Pope Pius XI; Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno: “[Socialism] is based nevertheless on a theory of human society peculiar to itself and irreconcilable with true Christianity. Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist.”

    6. July 1, 1949; Pope Pius XII; Acta Apostolicae Sedis: declared Catholics who are doctrinal Communists be excommunicated as apostates from the Christian faith. Read it for yourself: http://www.montfort.org.br/eng/documentos/decretos/anticomunismo

    Pope Pius XII declared May 1st the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker to point Christians to Jesus’ adopted father as a role model by for men who work and labor to provide for their families.

    “To hasten the advent of that ‘peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ’ so ardently desired by all, We place the vast campaign of the Church against world Communism under the standard of St. Joseph, her mighty protector.”

    • johnyMac September 3, 2019 at 10:02

      Thank you vyt1az for sharing your research with the readers at AP.

      Peace to you Brother.

  4. SFW September 7, 2020 at 08:46

    My friends just laugh at me when I call the holiday Communist Party Worker’s Day.

  5. Sawbuck September 7, 2020 at 12:50

    Your wife will stop giving you heat when you win all the cash on Jeopardy!

    • johnyMac September 7, 2020 at 12:59

      LOL Sawback…LOL

      73 & God Bless Brother

  6. MW PREPPER September 7, 2020 at 18:30

    Thanks for reposting Johnny Mac. What a difference a year makes! The quarantine, masks, riots, a collapsing economy, whatever, it has been one screwed up 12 months & then some. The one question I do have for you. Do you think you’ll be reposting this same article on Labor Day, 2021? My guess will be what transpires after the elections. One thing for sure, life here in America will never be the same in the aftermath. I’m preparing for a worst case scenario. I hope you & your family along with all the AP contributors are, too. Oh! Must not forget all of the readers & advertisers who make this site possible for good measure. Stay safe, be prepared & let’s hope all of us survive the inevitable, however you want to define it!

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