"If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend." ~ Doug LarsonThough originally associated with the American labor movement, today's Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer and for sure, the beginning of fair season.
Check out the Library of Congress's website to learn more about Labor Day's historical roots. America's first Labor Day parade was held in 1882 in New York City; Congress made Labor Day a national holiday twelve years later.
Books and ReadingThough likely to inspire spirited debate, here's a short list of well-written books about the early origins and mid-20th century outcomes of the U.S. labor movement.
From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend : a Short, Illustrated History of Labor in the United States by Priscilla Murolo and A.B. Chitty ; illustrations by Joe Sacco
A Brief History of the Connecticut Labor Movement by Marta Moret
The Woman Behind the New Deal : the Life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey
For Kids
The Unions ; written and illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher
The Factories ; written and illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher
Labor Day by Carmen Bredeson
Header cartoon by Clay Bennett,
editorial cartoonist for the Christian Science Monitor from 1997-2007
