The English, paying homage to the change of seasons and fertility, originally established May Day as a celebration during the medieval times. As a holiday of social unity, the people of England would come together regardless of wealth or status to welcome the arrival of spring. With the advent of immigration, people seeking a better life brought the May Day festivities with them to the New World - Chicago. Prior to May Day's acceptance in the United States, the Puritan Movement in England squashed May Day in the 1640's, labeling the celebration as a pagan holiday. May Day then became a tamed holiday, but nevertheless, still alive in the hearts of the townspeople. Chicago hosted a newfound freedom for immigrant families seeking a better life. In particular, amongst the working class in the early 1800's, it was a regular custom for workers to take the day off from work, sometimes without the consent of the employer, in honor of the "People's Holiday"-May Day.
Chicago became center stage for the labor movement with such inspiring Labor Activists as Albert Parsons and August Spies who founded The Knights of Labor. Spearheading the quest for improved labor conditions, the Labor Movement expanding in the United States in the middle to late 19th century, May Day naturally became the perfect foundation upon which to erect protests' against unfair work practices and conditions.
An illustrious history that is easily overlooked, MayDay2000 is deeply rooted in the formative ideology of the nation's, let alone Chicago's Labor Movement and Legislation. To this day there is still some controversy behind the incidents that transpired in Chicago towards the quest for fair labor legislation.
Prior to May 1, 1886, workers of Chicago's vast industrial matrix - The Armour Meat Co., Swift Meat Co., the printing industry, steel and furniture manufacturers, bricklayers, along with the plethoral gamut, grew unsatisfied with the man-hours required by big business. Police labeled anarchists, Albert Parsons and August Spies rallied local workers with eloquent speeches, bidding workers to stand together in pursuit of an eight-hour workday, and not to give in to the demands of industrial bosses. Albert R. Parsons with the support of the Knights of Labor Organization called for a strike in protest to long workdays. The strike was planned for May 1st, 1886. Through their arduous efforts, The Knights of Labor spread their message across the nation inciting workers to peacefully represent their plight.
May 1st saw national strikes in the United States and Canada for the eight-hour workday. With protests' peaceful and a success, workers of the McCormick Harvester Company returned to work only to find themselves replaced with over 300 substitute workers (scabs). With the Chicago police hired by the industrial bosses as corporate police, they feared the worst, and attacked the locked out workers attempting to head off any possible melee. Six individual workers were killed in the incident.
Immediately, August Spies called for a protest/demonstration against police brutality to take place the next day in Haymarket Square. Anticipating some type of violence to occur, police were present at the protest. Ironically, a bomb exploded in a crowd of police killing eight officers. Eight possible conspirators including Albert Parsons and August Spies were arrested. To the surprise and dismay of several eyewitnesses including that of the then governor of Illinois and the general populous present at the Haymarket demonstration, all but three of the convicted eight individuals were sentenced to death for causing unrest amongst the working people. It is still a question who actually set off the bomb, volatile workers or the backfire of police provocative antagonism.
One of the most infamous show trials of the 19th century, the state of Illinois tried and convicted the anarchist for inciting the working people to fight for their rights as much as being on trial for the actual bomb throwing. The anarchist Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engle and Adolph Fischer were found guilty and executed by the State of Illinois.
The convicted innocents became known as the Haymarket Martyrs. These individuals had to be taught a lesson for stirring up revolution and agitating big business values amongst the working class citizens.
In Paris in 1889, the International working Men's Association (the first International) declared May 1st an international working class holiday in commemoration of the Haymarket Martyrs. The red flag became the symbol of the blood of the working class martyrs in their battle for the rights of workers.
Today, 116 years after the events that shaped the countenance of the political Labor Movement, activist and citizen come to MayDay to express issues and concerns to be rectified with joint efforts. With persistence, patience and an unyielding dedication to the prosperity and satisfaction of humanity, hopefully MayDay will come around full circle to the original and wonderful social celebration of the birth of Spring.
