The History of Labor Day 

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Watershed Moments in History

Honoring the American Worker

Until the first Labor Day 140 years ago, our holidays honored religious, civil, and military occasions, but none honored the ordinary American worker. Labor Day changed all that.
On September 5, 1882, over 12,000 American workers from dozens of union organizations gave up a day’s-pay to parade through the streets of New York to celebrate what became the first Labor Day.

In a time when employers often required employees to work extremely long hours in unsafe environments, American workers had little recourse. The celebration was significant for the burgeoning movement that pushed for safe working conditions, reasonable hours, and fair pay.
The first Labor Day parade held in New York City on September 5, 1882,
from Frank Leslie's Weekly Illustrated Newspaper of September 16, 1882.

Labor Day celebrations remained significant to union organizations, particularly in the 1950s, when over a third of all American workers claimed union membership. Today, those numbers have fallen to roughly 10 percent.

More business owners and management recognize the connection between the success of their businesses and a loyal and motivated workforce. Top workplaces compete for the best employees through appealing work environments, better pay, growth opportunities, and respect for their employees, diminishing the demand for unions.
America's Workforce and the American Dream

Achieving high workplace standards has enabled many more people to see how they themselves can pursue the American dream.

Changing beliefs and higher respect for different types of education have opened doors for many more young people to achieve success based on their own interests, abilities and goals.
Whether they attend high school training programs, trade schools, associate programs, or universities, opportunities for young people are greater than ever.
Teaching the Roots of the American Dream
Regardless of their educational path, we must ensure they receive a solid civics education as they get started.

It is by understanding the history and principles behind the American Dream that they will understand the freedoms they have to pursue their goals.

Improving American Civics at the K-12 level is key to the Jack Miller Center mission. We are building a movement of teachers, scholars, and concerned citizens who seek to pass along an understanding of American self-government to the next generation.

Please consider a donation to the Jack Miller Center. Your support will help revitalize American Civics grounded in our founding principles and history.
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The battle for the soul of our nation will be won or lost in our
classrooms ™ — Jack Miller

At the Jack Miller Center, that battle is our sole mission. We are the boots on the ground, working to bring the America's founding principles and history back to the classroom. Please consider a tax-deductible gift ([link removed]) to JMC. Your donation, large or small, is an investment in the future of our country—for you, for your children, for your grandchildren.
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About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.

We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.
www.jackmillercenter.org

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