The first Monday of September marks Labor Day, the annual holiday that grants us a shorter work week and a longer weekend. And while some may regard it as a measure of when the end of summer is nigh or a reminder to not wear white the following day, the holiday honors the many social and economic contributions of working people — in the past and present.
Labor Day officially became a federal holiday on June 28, 1894. But before then, the holiday was recognized by labor activists and individual states. Groups of trade unionists nationwide chose various days to commemorate labor amid the late 19th century, when the trade union and the American labor movement rose to prominence. Oregon became the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. That same year, four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York — passed similar laws. Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania followed suit a few years later and by 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday before it was recognized by Congress.
