Today, Labor Day is often treated as the unofficial end of summer—a long weekend filled with cookouts, travel and store sales.
But the holiday did not begin as a day off. It began with approximately 10,000 workers marching through the streets of New York City.
America's First Labor Day
On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, workers gathered for what became America's first Labor Day parade.
Organized by New York's Central Labor Union, the procession traveled from City Hall, passed reviewing stands in Union Square and continued north to 42nd Street. Workers and their families then gathered at Wendel's Elm Park for a picnic, concert and speeches.
The combination of a public demonstration and a community celebration was intentional. Labor organizations wanted the public to see the strength of America's workforce while giving workers and their families a day of recreation.
According to the Library of Congress, roughly 10,000 people participated in that first parade.
Who Created Labor Day?
No one knows for certain.
For years, Peter J. McGuire, a leader of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, received credit for proposing the holiday. However, many historians now believe machinist Matthew Maguire—secretary of the Central Labor Union that organized the 1882 parade—may have been the true originator.
The similar names have helped keep the debate alive. The U.S. Department of Labor acknowledges both claims.
What is certain is that the idea came from the American labor movement during a period when workers were demanding public recognition, shorter hours and better working conditions.
From a Parade to a National Movement
New York held another Labor Day celebration in 1883. In 1884, organizers moved the event to the first Monday in September, establishing the date still used today.
1882: Approximately 10,000 workers participated in the first Labor Day parade in New York City.
1887: Oregon became the first state to officially recognize Labor Day.
1894: Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September.
Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York passed Labor Day laws later in 1887. By 1894, 31 states had recognized the holiday—but it still was not a federal observance.
The Pullman Strike Changed That
The timing of Labor Day's federal recognition was closely connected to one of the most significant labor disputes in American history.
During the economic depression of 1893, the Pullman Company reduced wages at its railroad-car factory near Chicago. However, the company did not reduce the rent it charged workers living in its company-owned town.
Pullman employees walked off the job on May 11, 1894. The dispute expanded into a nationwide railroad boycott involving an estimated 250,000 workers across 27 states.
As the Pullman Strike grew, Congress passed legislation making Labor Day a federal holiday on June 27, 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed it the following day. Federal troops were later used to break the strike, which ended in violence and defeat for the workers.
Labor Day was not created solely because of the Pullman Strike—the movement had already been growing for more than a decade. But the crisis explains why the federal government acted when it did.
A historical White House proclamation establishing Pullman National Monument described the holiday's adoption as an attempt to ease tensions with workers across the country.
What Labor Day Was Meant to Honor
Labor Day recognizes the contributions workers have made to America's strength, prosperity and well-being.
It honors the people who built the country's roads, railroads, factories, schools and communities—and those whose work continues to keep the country moving.
The parades and speeches have become less common, but the original meaning has not changed. Labor Day was created to recognize the dignity and value of work.
Flying the American Flag on Labor Day
The U.S. Flag Code specifically lists Labor Day among the occasions when the American flag should be displayed.
Unless a separate half-staff order is issued, the flag should be flown at full-staff from sunrise to sunset. It may remain displayed after dark when properly illuminated.
The complete rules are available in Title 4, Section 6 of the U.S. Code.
Made in America for an American Holiday
On a holiday created to honor American workers, “Made in the USA” carries particular meaning.
The American flags offered by American Flags Express are 100% made in the United States, with sewn stripes, embroidered stars and commercial-quality construction.
Flying an American-made flag on Labor Day is a fitting way to recognize the people the holiday was created to honor.
Labor Day began with a march because workers wanted their contributions to be seen. More than a century later, the holiday still asks us to stop and recognize the work that keeps America moving.