In the late 1800s, labour activists and individual states held the first unofficial Labor Day celebrations.
The first state to introduce a bill commemorating Labor Day was New York.
Oregon was the first to actually codify it into law in 1887
According to Joshua Freeman, a labor historian and retired professor at the City University of New York, the holiday arose as unions began to flourish again following the 1870s recession.
Unions were pushing for "quite concrete changes in their working circumstances" at the time Labor Day was established, according to Freeman.
Workers fought hard for the eight-hour workday that most workers now have.
Labor Day acted an opportunity for them to meet and discuss their priorities.