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Tribute to the American Worker on Labor Day

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Labor Day is usually the last remnant of the summer vacation.   We either have our last cookout on the patio, go shopping to catch the end-of-summer sale, or head to the beach for that last dip in the ocean before the Fall/Winter season.   However, we all should take a moment to appreciate the meaning of the holiday.

Becoming a federal holiday in 1894, the first Monday of September is the day that was chosen to observe the social and economic contributions of the American worker to our country and to the world.   These contributions were numerous and life changing.  All you have to do is look around in your own city to get a glimpse of the ingenuity of the American worker.

Here are just a few of those amazing contributions in my city – the Houston/Galveston area:

  • the Astrodome – the world’s first domed stadium and 8th wonder of the modern world
  • NASA Mission Control – helping to put the first man (an American) on the moon
  • Galveston Seawall – built to protect that portion of the Gulf Coast after the 1900 Hurricane that killed 8,000 persons which is still considered one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.
  • Houston Ship Channel – a 100+ year-old “man-made’ deep water seaport which has made Houston one of the busiest seaports in the U.S. It is still considered a feat of civil engineering to this day.

I know that one of the key ingredients of the American worker is the “we can” attitude.   When there is a problem, a need, and/or an opportunity to reach beyond limits the American worker will show up.  We should all take a moment to honor and embrace that trait on Labor Day.

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Happy Labor Day, my fellow Americans!

 

Questions(s):

Can you share what marvels exist in your city from the efforts of the American worker?

 

Understanding Labor Day – Celebrating the American Working Class

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USA Colours Party BackgroundYou know it occurred to me as I prepared for Labor Day 2014 that I had minimal knowledge about the holiday that I have celebrated every year with family and friends.   I had some general knowledge of why we, as a nation, celebrate it but did not know much about the origins of the holiday.   So, I decided this Labor Holiday weekend to do some research and share with others who may not have full knowledge.

Labor Day in the U.S is basically the holiday that celebrates the achievements of the American worker and their contributions to our country.   It is celebrated yearly on the first Monday in September.   Oregon was the first state to celebrate it back in 1887.  By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894 thirty other states were already celebrating it.  Also, eighty countries worldwide celebrate Labour Day (that is how they spell it!) each year but in those countries it is celebrated on May 1.

After the national adoption, the early celebrations in local cities and towns included parades, festivals, and speeches by community leaders.    Also, the holiday marked the end of the summer and a return to school for children.   Now, in more recent times, the retail community has added their flavor to the holiday by offering sales on their merchandise to the citizens that are enjoying leisure time and may want to shop.

The ingenuity of the American worker and inventor changed the world with the inventions by persons such as Orville and Wilbur Wright, Eli Whitney, Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Goodyear, Granville T. Woods, Elijah McCoy (the real McCoy), Lewis Latimer, Jan Ernst Matzeliger, Garrett Morgan, and Otis Boykin – just to name a few.   We all have reason to celebrate the achievements of these workers and many more like them who have contributed much to the American way of life.