Since the end of the 19th century, in the United States of America, Brazil and in several other western countries, the 1st of May has been considered the Labor Day or the Labor Day. This date was chosen due to a wave of demonstrations and violent conflicts that was triggered by a general strike. This strike paralyzed industrial parks in the city of Chicago (USA), on May 1, 1886. In order to understand the reasons that led the workers to such a strike and why this day was chosen as a milestone of memory, it is necessary to know a little about the context of the period.
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industrial revolution and working class
We know that, during the 18th century, one of the most important events in human history took place on English soil: the Industrial Revolution. From England, the industrialization process spread, initially, to Europe and, later, to other continents, such as the American one. One of the most obvious consequences of the Industrial Revolution was the formation of large urban centers, a fact that generated, consequently, a large concentration of people in its surroundings, especially workers, whose work nourished the industries.
The formation of the working class demanded a series of needs that were not always effectively fulfilled by the industrial bourgeoisie. The hours worked were often excessive and the relationship between employee and employer was not always friendly. In this context, unions and workers' movements emerged, oriented by left-wing ideologies, such as anarchism (anarcho-syndicalistism) and the communism.
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Chicago General Strike and Labor Day
The main form of action of workers' organizations with a view to demanding rights was the strike. The general strike became a frequently used instrument of pressure. However, strikes were also joined by other practices, such as direct action, which consisted of violent demonstrations. The May 1, 1886 general strike in Chicago resulted in severe police repression. Such repression stimulated even more demonstrations that took place in the following days.
On May 4th, at a demonstration in squareHaymarket, in that city, a bomb exploded, killing seven and injuring dozens of people, including police and protesters. The explosion of such a bomb provoked a backlash from the police with gunfire on the protesters. Another dozen people died in the same square. This set of events, which started on May 1st, became a symbol for the demonstrations and struggles for labor rights in the following decades in various parts of the world.
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Institution of Labor Day in Brazil
In the specific case of Brazil, the mention of May 1st began in the 1890s, when the Republic was already established and an accentuated process of industrial development began. Brazilian. In the first two decades of the 20th century, organized workers' movements began to form, especially in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Among these movements, ideologies such as anarcho-syndicalistism, of Italian origin, and communism also figured.
In 1917, the city of São Paulo staged one of the biggest general strikes ever recorded. The strength that the workers' movement acquired was such that, in 1924, the then president ArthurBernardes he accepted the suggestion that was already aired in various parts of the world to reserve May 1st as Labor Day in Brazil. Thus, since that year, May 1st became a national holiday. At the time of the Vargas New State, the date was deliberately used for government self-promotion events, with parties for workers and many demagogic speeches.
By Me. Cláudio Fernandes
