Labor Day: Matthew Maguire

Matthew Maguire is one of the two men who may be responsible for initiating the first Labor Day in the United States.

Matthew Maguire was a machinist known for his socialist views. He led strikes to protest the inhumanely long working hours that were commonly imposed on skilled laborers. He was one of the organizers of the Central Labor Union of New York and was its secretary at the time of the first Labor Day celebration. 

Many free internet sites say that Matthew Maguire sent the invitations to the first Labor Day parade. His family’s lore is that he rode in the leading carriage of the parade. 

Beyond that and a few more bits and bobs about Maguire’s activist and political work and suggestions of evidence that he was the initiator of the first Labor Day, the free internet is silent on the details of Matthew Maguire’s biography. 

Even the New Jersey Historical Society doesn’t tell about his early life or give more personal information than the other sites. 

I wonder if the reason there is so little about Matthew Maguire’s full life is because of his more controversial political positions? Sure, being from a working-class background, there may be little recorded history about him, but even Peter McGuire, who appears to be from a similar background, has a slightly more extensive biography freely available. I wonder what the difference is with Matthew Maguire?