Monday, September 2nd is right around the corner. Although it may signal the end of summer, the end of hot dog season, or the beginning of football season, Labor Day is so much more than that. It is a celebration of the American worker and all they have achieved.
The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882 in New York City. 10,000 people marched down the streets of Manhattan for labor rights, in a time where most Americans (children included) worked 12 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week. By 1894, it had caught on in 23 other states and Grover Cleveland signed a law making it a National Holiday.
So, while you have your last barbecue of the season, take a few moments out of your celebration to remember the workers before you, and the great strides they made so that future generations could have fair wages and a manageable work week.