What is the origin of Labor Day?

1877, the first national strike in American history began. The working class took to the streets to demonstrate and proposed to the government to improve working and living conditions, demanding that working hours be shortened and an eight-hour working day be implemented. Shortly after the strike, the ranks were expanding day by day, the number of trade union members surged, and workers from all over the country also took part in the strike movement.

Under the strong pressure of the workers' movement, the US Congress was forced to enact laws on the eight-hour working day. But some capitalists simply ignore it. This law is just a dead letter. Workers still live in dire straits and are tortured by capitalists. The workers who can't bear it decided to push this struggle for the right to life to a new climax and prepare to hold a larger strike movement.

1884 in June, eight international and national workers' groups in the United States and Canada held a rally in Chicago, USA, and decided to hold a general strike on May 1886, forcing capitalists to implement an eight-hour working system.

This day has finally arrived. May 1886, 1 350,000 workers from more than 20,000 enterprises in the United States stopped work and took to the streets to hold a massive demonstration. Workers of all colors and jobs went on a general strike together. In Chicago alone, 45,000 workers poured into the streets.

In this case, the major industrial departments in the United States are paralyzed, trains become frozen snakes, shops become silent, and all warehouses are closed and sealed.

1866, the first international Geneva conference put forward the slogan of eight-hour work system. On May 1886 and 1 day, the United States held a large-scale strike demonstration with about 350,000 people as the center. The demonstrators demanded improved working conditions and an eight-hour working day.

On May 3, 1886, the Chicago government dispatched police to suppress and shot and killed two people. The situation has expanded. On May 4th, striking workers held a protest in Haymarket Square. Because unknown people threw bombs at the police, the police finally shot, and four workers and seven policemen died successively, which is known as the hay market riot.

In the subsequent judgment, eight anarchists were charged with murder, four anarchists were hanged, and 1 committed suicide in prison.

In order to commemorate this great labor movement and protest the subsequent verdict, workers' protests were held all over the world. These activities became the predecessor of International Labor Day.

1 in July, 889, at the second international founding conference organized by Engels, it was announced that May1day would be designated as International Labor Day every year.