Labor Day is not just a time to lament the end of summer and the start of school, nor is it merely a weekend filled with great bargains for the frugal shopper; it’s a national holiday that celebrates the value and tenacity of the average worker, one who was shamefully exploited not that many years ago:
“In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.”
Click here to learn more about Labor Day and the dramatic history that led to its founding.
