Labor Day and the Arts and Crafts Movement History

Like the Amish woodcrafters of today the first man to officially suggest Labor Day was also a carpenter. A day to praise the efforts of the hard working everyday laborer was first suggested around 1880 by Peter J. McGuire, founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. By 1894 Congress made McGuire’s suggestion official and honored those people working a dozen hours a day in the factories that mass produced products for the world. While today we celebrate Labor Day more by celebrating the end of a season than honoring the hard work of American laborers it was originally intended to honor the prosperity that America enjoys because of its hard working citizens. Understanding the history of Labor Day helps us to understand the era that spawned reformers like William Morris, one of the founders of the Arts and Crafts Movement. By 1880 Morris and his associates were propelled into action by what they saw as disturbing social impacts as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

There is a rich and blended history surrounding Labor Day and the Arts and Crafts Movement. The Industrial Revolution spawned many changes in the way people worked, lived and even practiced politics in America as well as England. While machines may have appeared to become a more efficient way to produce products like furniture, machines cannot run themselves. People were needed in large numbers to run the machines of mass production. Millions of men and women moved in to towns, abandoning their farms and workshops. They all longed for the American dream and a secure income that was not affected by weather, insects, drought or harsh environments like farming held. The dream of the Utopia offered in factories was painted much differently than its reality. What awaited them in factories were twelve and fourteen hour days in dark and dirty dungeon like work environments with little to no protection from abuse or health hazards.

In a revolt against the mass produced furnishings the new machine-age was giving rise to a new wave of thinking from England with the advent of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The 19^thcentury Industrial Revolution was in full bloom when the Movement swept into America. This revolt against the long held Victorian mindset began creating the longing for handcrafted artisan pieces like the Mission style furniture the Amish craft today. The philosophies of the Society of Arts and Crafts were brought to the United States by men like Gustav Stickley. These philosophies were inspired by social reforms that were seen as necessary as people were being consumed inside of sweat shops while the quality of products was being reduced. Today these same philosophy of hand crafted, individually made products are still held in the Amish community and carpenters and observed in their diligence to bringing high end furniture designs.