Loyalty Day vs. Labor Day

 by Jack R. Johnson 09.2020

You may know that May 1st is traditionally celebrated as Labor Day in practically every country of the world except the United States, Canada and South Africa, but did you know that America specifically declared May 1st, a ‘loyalty day’ in an effort to offset Labor day celebrations elsewhere?
According to the Veterans of Foreign Wars website, Loyalty Day was first observed in 1921 as "Americanization Day," and was intended to counterbalance the international celebration of May 1st, which was perceived as being socialist because of its marking of labor rights and, in particular, the Haymarket Riot for an eight-hour work day in Chicago.
The push for a Loyalty Day began as a committee to organize a so called ‘Americanization day’ way back on June 10, 1915. According to The New York Times, “Members of a “National Americanization Day Committee” were formed, with headquarters at 95 Madison Avenue, in the home of a certain Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the wealthiest plutocrats of all time.
Americanization day was designed to “promote general education in citizenship and civic affairs throughout the country”. The commemoration of the day evolved into Loyalty Day which was made an official holiday by the U.S. Congress on July 18, 1958 –during the height of the Red Scare -- and read into the Congressional Record as Public Law 85-529. Following the passage of this law, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1959 the first official observance of Loyalty Day.
No mention of whether the proponents of Americanization Day and Loyalty Day favored an eight-hour work day or not.
But we suspect the Cornelius Vanderbilt –whose fortune rested squarely on the shoulders of workers of almost any age and nationality toiling along his railroad lines 24/7 -- may not have found the idea especially compelling.