111th Congress, 2nd Session
The first Labor Day
June 28, 1894
On this date, President Grover Cleveland signed S. 730 into law declaring Labor Day as a national holiday. Since 1883, Labor Day had been celebrated at the local and state level. From 1887 to 1894, 23 states enacted a Labor Day holiday. However, it alternated between either the first Saturday or Monday of September. On June 26, 1894, Chairman of the House Labor Committee, Lawrence McGann of Illinois, introduced the Senate bill in the House, replacing an earlier House version introduced by Amos Cummings of New York. The legislation passed with no objection. With remarkable speed, the bill cleared the Senate in one week and was forwarded to the President. The response to the new holiday was overwhelmingly positive. Labor unions in cities such as Boston, Nashville, and St. Louis celebrated with parades and picnics. Large turnouts in Chicago (30,000) and Baltimore (10,000) underscored the holiday’s popularity. At the first official Labor Day parade in Chicago, Chairman McGann reminded the revelers, “Let us each Labor day, hold a congress and formulate propositions for the amelioration of the people. Send them to your Representatives with your earnest, intelligent endorsement, and the laws will be changed.” Over time, Members of Congress began utilizing their role as participants in numerous Labor Day holiday parades as a means to reach out to constituents.
Related Highlight Subjects
Cite this Highlight
Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/highlights.html?action=view&intID=214, (February 09, 2010).For Additional Information
Office of History and Preservation(202) 226-1300
history@mail.house.gov
This 1933 image features a Labor Day parade in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress
Teaching Tip
House Legislation
Have students search the highlight dates and locate reference to any legislative document (bill, resolution, speech, etc.). Ask students to track down the document at a local depository library. Students should research the historical background of the document and make a brief presentation which includes reading all or portions of the document aloud. To locate a nearby federal depository library go to http://catalog.gpo.gov.
