TW: This week's episode discusses violent events. Listener caution/discretion is advised.

In today's episode, I thought I would explore the history of Labor Day, given that the holiday in the USA is approaching. Little did I know, I would end up in yet another rabbit hole of events related to May Day (AKA International Worker's Day) and the USA's intentional suppression of worker organizing all through the end of the 19th century. In this episode, we explore beyond the boundaries of Appalachia and find even more interconnections between the fate of the poor and working class. All in all, we look at the Great Railroad Strikes, the Haymarket Riot, and the government's official recognition of Labor Day in the late 1890s.

(Spoiler alert: LABOR DAY WAS ADOPTED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INTERNATIONAL WORKER’S DAY TO UNDERMINE TRULY REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZING EFFORTS !!!!!)

Sources for today's episode:

1) Reneau, K. (2016, September 5). The history of Labor Day: A holiday born from the working man. West Virginia News. https://www.wvnews.com/theet/news/free/the-history-of-labor-day-a-holiday-born-from-the-working-man/article_ed1bcc78-af07-5b7e-926b-305a51d1bf18.html

2) Zraick, K. (2021, September 4). What Is Labor Day? A History of the Workers’ Holiday. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-labor-day.html

3) Films Media Group. (2013). Labor day: Video culture class - American holidays. Access Video On Demand. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=242630&xtid=111005

4) Weaver, A. (2011, June 11). Outline of US Labor History with a Focus on the Role of the Left. Libcom. Retrieved August 26, 2022, from https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/adam-weaver-outline-of-us-labor-history-with-a-focus-on-the-role-of-the-left

5) Collective, C. I. E.-W. (2017, May 1). The May Days: Stories of Courage and Resistance. CrimethInc. Retrieved August 26, 2022, from https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/crimethinc-the-may-days-stories-of-courage-and-resistance#toc1

6) Zinn, H. (2015). A people's history of the United States: 1492-present. HarperCollins. Accessed at https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/howard-zinn-a-people-s-history-of-the-united-states

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