Difference between revisions of "What are the origins of Labor Day"
(→Origins of Labor Day) |
(→Origins of Labor Day) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
==Origins of Labor Day== | ==Origins of Labor Day== | ||
| − | The development of Labor Day developed through the history of the development of labor unions that arose as early as the late 18th century, particularly as factories and the industrial revolution began. With the rise and increasing growth of industrial development in the United States, labor unions increased in membership and, by extension, influence. | + | The development of Labor Day developed through the history of the development of labor unions that arose as early as the late 18th century, particularly as factories and the industrial revolution began. With the rise and increasing growth of industrial development in the United States, labor unions increased in membership and, by extension, influence. This was not unique to the United States, as countries in Europe as began to have workers organize and at times begin to conduct strikes. |
| + | |||
| + | One major development in the the mid-19th century was the increasing demand for consumer products and infrastructure let to increasing demands on factories, leading to growth that was fueled by unregulated labor markets. The supply of labor was plentiful as populations expanded, but this also meant that child labor and very long hours (12 or more per day) were typical. Average workers, despite working often 7-day weeks for more than 10 hours per day, often barley made enough to feed their families and keep their homes. In the United States and elsewhere, the second half of the 19th century saw increasing labor strikes protesting wages and often conditions, where sweatshop-like conditions often existed. | ||
==Developments in the Late 19th and early 20th Century== | ==Developments in the Late 19th and early 20th Century== | ||
Revision as of 12:17, 8 February 2018
Labor Day, celebrated in the United States and also in Canada (spelled Labour Day), have been held on the first Monday in September. The holiday originates in 1887, where in Oregon it was first celebrated. However, its roots are older and related to the wider international efforts by workers to celebrate a holiday. These worker movements were also affiliated with leftist political action, which has shaped the choosing of the date in the United States. The complex, often political history, of Labor Day has also shifted in recent periods.
Contents
Origins of Labor Day
The development of Labor Day developed through the history of the development of labor unions that arose as early as the late 18th century, particularly as factories and the industrial revolution began. With the rise and increasing growth of industrial development in the United States, labor unions increased in membership and, by extension, influence. This was not unique to the United States, as countries in Europe as began to have workers organize and at times begin to conduct strikes.
One major development in the the mid-19th century was the increasing demand for consumer products and infrastructure let to increasing demands on factories, leading to growth that was fueled by unregulated labor markets. The supply of labor was plentiful as populations expanded, but this also meant that child labor and very long hours (12 or more per day) were typical. Average workers, despite working often 7-day weeks for more than 10 hours per day, often barley made enough to feed their families and keep their homes. In the United States and elsewhere, the second half of the 19th century saw increasing labor strikes protesting wages and often conditions, where sweatshop-like conditions often existed.