[1866]
Versi di I.G. Blanchard, pubblicati sul “Workingman's Advocate” nel 1866
Musica di Jesse H. Jones, pubblicata sul “Labor Standard” nel 1878
Testo e nota introduttiva trovati su Contemplator
Ho attribuito la canzone non al suo autore, sul cui conto non avevo notizie precise, ma ai Cincinnati’s University Singers che nel 1978 realizzarono un disco, intitolato “The Hand That Holds The Bread - Progress and Protest in the Gilded Age - Songs from the Civil War to the Columbian Exposition”, dove è presente anche questa “Eight Hours”.

In 1850 the average work week was 70 hours, in 1900 the average work week was 60 hours and in 1920 the average work week was 50 hours. In the 1840s unions began working for a 10 hour day.
Agitation for the eight hour day began after the Civil War. Congress passed an eight hour law on June 25, 1868, but it was largely ignored. In the 1880s the issue was... (continuer)