Labor Day, today commonly associated with the end of Summer, cookouts and shopping deals, was initially created to honor the contributions of American workers at the height of the Industrial Revolution , one of American labor history 's darkest periods.

In the late 1800s, many Americans worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks - just to be able to afford a basic living. People of all ages, mostly the poor and immigrants, faced extremely unsafe working conditions, often with little breaks. Also children, as young as 5 or 6, toiled in mills, factories and mines across the nation.

With the rise of the manufacturing industry, labor unions gained prominence and significance. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor employment conditions, and to fight for better hours and p

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