The bloody history of Labor Day

Why this holiday commemorates struggle and death

The Pullman strike of 1894.
(Image credit: Everett Collection/Newscom)

Most people probably don't think of Labor Day as a holiday commemorating struggle and death. But that's what it used to be.

The period between the Civil War and the Great Depression was a time of massive upheaval: The industrial revolution swept in, and millions of Americans were forced to leave their farms and move to cities in search of work in the newly-formed rail, steel, textile, and shipping industries.

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Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.