It was proclaimed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a day for declaring loyalty to the United States of America and to acknowledge American history.

[2] The date, May 1, was set in order to counter International Workers' Day and was recognized by the U.S. Congress during the height of the Second Red Scare.

[4] Social upheaval following World War I, and especially the October Revolution in Russia,[5] developed into the First Red Scare, which led to government crackdowns on organized labor, the communist movement, and other activities seen as "radical".

[6][5] An early celebration held for Americanization Day was on May 1, 1930, when 10,000 VFW members staged a rally at New York's Union Square to promote patriotism.

[6] During the Second Red Scare, it was recognized by the U.S. Congress on April 27, 1955,[7] and made an official reoccurring holiday on July 18, 1958 (Public Law 85-529).