This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Labor Day origins traced to 1882 and Maguire’s dream
A historical overview recounts Peter Maguire as a labor leader who proposed Labor Day in 1882. It notes Oregon’s 1887 recognition, 1894 federal status, and the shift from craft to industrial unions, including Gompers and Powderley’s roles, the 1886 Hay Market bombing, and the contrast with May Day celebrations in Europe.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Martin S. Hayden
Alliance
Ashington
Peter Maguire
Maguire
The
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners
Knights of Labor
New York
Oregon
New Jersey
Colorado
Congress
Labor Department
A.F.L
C.so
Samuel Gompers
Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions
United States
Canada
Terrance V. Powderley
Powderley
Knights
Chicago
Hay Market
McCormick Reaper Works
Illinois
John P. Altgeld
Gompers
Columbus
American Federation of Labor
C.L
Paris
Socialist International
Europe
America