THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS NATION GREAT

by Linda Kirby / WGON

The “Robber Barons” of the Gilded Age believed they built this country with their railroads, factories, and steel empires. But they were only half the equation. The true builders of this nation were the laborers—the hands that laid the tracks, raised the beams, and tilled the soil.

Enslaved Africans performed forced labor in agriculture, construction, and the foundational industries that generated early American wealth. European immigrants—English, German, Irish, Scottish—worked in mines, on railroads, and in the construction of iconic buildings like the White House. Chinese laborers played a vital role in building the transcontinental railroad in the West. Dutch, French, Spanish, and later waves of immigrants enriched the cultural and economic landscape, each contributing to specific regions and industries.

Today, we honor these brave and resilient people who built this country with sweat, skill, and sacrifice. Many gave their lives doing underpaid, grueling work. Long hours, low wages, and unsafe conditions were their daily reality. Yet their craftsmanship endures—visible in structures still standing after more than 200 years.

That same spirit lives on. Our nation is sustained by the laborers of today:

• Police officers who protect our communities

• Firefighters who risk their lives to save others

• Doctors and nurses who treat the wounds and illnesses that come from hard labor

• Construction workers who continue to build our homes, roads, and cities

Many are injured. Some die. Yet they show up, day after day, to keep this country running. Behind every aspect of our daily lives is a human being—working, building, maintaining.

The wealthy may have financed these wonders, but it was the laborers who made them real. They gave their blood, their sweat, and often their lives.

This Labor Day, let us celebrate their legacy.

Let us remember their sacrifice.

Let us thank them—for making this nation great.