In a quirky historical twist, two celebratory days in the first week of May (Dia del Trabajo and Cinco de Mayo) had their origins in the United States and Mexico respectively, but are today more widely observed in the other country.
May 1, International Workers’ Day or May Day, originated in response to the Haymarket Massacre of 1886 in Chicago, where workers fought for the establishment of protection measures – namely an eight-hour workday.
But subsequent U.S. administrations were uneasy with the day’s association with communists and anarchist groups, so in 1894 President Grover Cleveland rushed legislation through Congress making Labor Day (September 1) the national holiday for workers. This occurred just six days after the resolution of the Pullman Strike, when employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company downed tools in response to reductions in wages during an economic slump.
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