On the first Monday of September every year, the United States pauses to honor its workers and the contributions they make to our nation’s prosperity. On September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 men and women paraded through the streets of Manhattan to celebrate the first Labor Day.
New York’s Central Labor Union organized the day of celebration in honor of the workers who fought to secure higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions for laborers. It was a day of celebration, but also a day of sacrifice; the workers sacrificed that day’s wages to demonstrate their commitment to gaining fair compensation for hard work.
American workers transformed the United States and the world with a quality of life never seen in history. American farmers export more food than any country in the world and produce food more efficiently per capita than China and India, the world’s largest food producers. The United States exports more refined petroleum than any other country in the world, and it export more than 40 percent of the world’s spacecraft and aircraft and more than 11 percent of the world’s electronics.
America has the largest road network of any country in the world with over 6.5 million kilometers of road, over 4.3 million miles of paved road and over 2.2 million miles of unpaved road. 90 percent of American households own at least one automobile and American workers produce almost 3 million cars per year, nearly 5 percent of cars produced per year worldwide. A key element in America’s economic success is the freedom that every American enjoys – the freedom to choose their work; the freedom to innovate and create new industries and revitalize old one.
“What we are witnessing today is the renewal of the American spirit,” said President Donald Trump.
“Our allies will find that America is once again ready to lead. (Applause) All the nations of the world—friend or foe—will find that America is strong, America is proud, and America is free.”
“We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine,” said President Trump. “We will shine as an example for everyone to follow.”
