Remembering This Labor Day Holiday

Recently, I watched a replay of one of the episodes of "The Men Who Built America," an eight-hour docudrama produced for the History Channel in 2012. That series focused on the lives of Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford. In portraying these men, it seems as though they almost single-handedly were responsible for 'the America' I grew up in, and the one that we still enjoy the 'fruits of their labors' to this day. But the reality is that while these men, the giants of industry, and historic empire builders had great visions and the wealth to bring them to fruition, it was the American 'working man' who forged those visions into reality.  

It was the working man who dug the coal, who laid the railroad tracks, who were the boilermakers, who forged the steel, who roughnecked the oil wells, who graded the ground, who poured the concrete, who framed the lumber, and who were the ironworkers, and the skywalkers that hung the beams and built the skyscrapers. The American working man who riveted, bolted and welded the ships, trains, cars, aircraft, and almost everything else we know, together to give us this great country. 

When Monday arrives, take time to remember that the American Working-man is being celebrated on Labor Day. While officially it is a recognition of the American 'labor movement' it is really a national tribute to every single worker who has contributed to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. It is a holiday dedicated to the social and economic achievements of "The Working Men, and Woman, Who Built America", not just a handful of industrial and business tycoons. 

In recognition of the American working man, and woman, Congress declared Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894, even though thirty states already celebrated the holiday. Congress enacted, and President Grover Cleveland signed into law. The holiday legislation was also intended to help end the Pullman (railroad car) Company labor strike in which 30 American Railway Union members died at the hands of the US Marshals while attempting to enforce a federal court injunction against the union.

Image source: The History Channels: "The Deadly Railroad Strike That Led to the Labor Day Holiday" (Adapted from a Fotosearch/Getty Image)

Many of America's holiday observances are in response to sad events, and in many cases the losses suffered in those events. But out of tragedy and loss, Americans stand up and come together and overcome diversity and hardship.  And the American laborers are time and time again at the front of such efforts. and in so doing, go right on and apply their skills and hard work to bring us back to the point that we can celebrate.

So, as we all enjoy this end of summer holiday, and perhaps our last trip to the  lake, hike in a National or State Park, drive across our nation on the various Interstate Highways, let's remember the American working men ,and women, who built the dams that impound those lakes, preserved our parks and forests, assembled those automobiles, and constructing the highways and bridges we're driving on, along with every other effort in building the society and nation love, America the Great,"the Home of the Brave and Land of the Free."