4.2 Knights of Labor

The Knights of Labor emerged in the late 19th century as a powerful voice for workers' rights during rapid industrialization. They advocated for social reforms, including an 8-hour workday and the abolition of child labor, reflecting growing discontent among the working class.

Founded in 1869, the Knights grew to become the largest labor organization of its time. Their inclusive approach, welcoming skilled and unskilled workers, women, and minorities, set them apart from other unions and shaped their significant impact on American labor history.

Origins of Knights of Labor

• Emerged as a prominent labor organization in the late 19th century United States, reflecting growing worker discontent and industrialization challenges
• Played a crucial role in shaping American labor history by advocating for workers' rights and social reforms during a period of rapid economic transformation

Founding and early years

Top images from around the web for Founding and early years

• 

  The Labor Movement | HIST 1302: US after 1877 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Labor and Domestic Tensions | Boundless US History View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Meet the Curator: 'Labour's Special Relationship' ⋆ U.S. Studies Online View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Labor Movement | HIST 1302: US after 1877 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Labor and Domestic Tensions | Boundless US History View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Founding and early years

• 

  The Labor Movement | HIST 1302: US after 1877 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Labor and Domestic Tensions | Boundless US History View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Meet the Curator: 'Labour's Special Relationship' ⋆ U.S. Studies Online View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Labor Movement | HIST 1302: US after 1877 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Labor and Domestic Tensions | Boundless US History View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Established in 1869 in Philadelphia as a secret fraternal organization to protect workers from employer retaliation
• Initially focused on garment cutters but quickly expanded to include various trades and industries
• Adopted a more public profile in 1878, abandoning secrecy to broaden its appeal and influence

Uriah Smith Stephens

• Founded the Knights of Labor and served as its first Grand Master Workman from 1869 to 1879
• Envisioned a broad-based labor organization that would unite workers across skill levels and industries
• Incorporated elements of Freemasonry into the Knights' structure and rituals, emphasizing brotherhood and mutual aid

Terence V. Powderly

• Succeeded Stephens as Grand Master Workman in 1879, serving until 1893
• Transformed the Knights into a more public and politically active organization
• Advocated for education, cooperation, and arbitration rather than strikes as primary means of achieving workers' goals
• Played a key role in the Knights' rapid growth and increased public influence during the 1880s

Organizational structure

• Designed to create a unified labor movement that could effectively advocate for workers' interests across industries and regions
• Reflected the Knights' vision of a hierarchical yet democratic organization capable of mobilizing workers on a national scale

Local assemblies

• Formed the grassroots level of the Knights' structure, typically organized around specific trades or geographic areas
• Held regular meetings to discuss local issues, plan actions, and elect representatives to higher levels
• Provided a forum for worker education and solidarity-building activities

District assemblies

• Coordinated activities of multiple local assemblies within a geographic region
• Served as an intermediary between local assemblies and the national leadership
• Organized broader campaigns and strikes that extended beyond individual workplaces

General Assembly

• Functioned as the Knights' highest decision-making body, meeting annually to set policies and elect national officers
• Comprised delegates elected from district assemblies, ensuring representation from across the organization
• Debated and voted on major organizational decisions, including strike authorizations and political endorsements

Ideology and goals

• Centered on the concept of a more just and equitable economic system that would benefit all producers of wealth
• Aimed to improve working conditions and living standards for all workers, not just those in specific trades or industries

Producerism

• Emphasized the idea that those who produced goods and services (workers) were the true creators of wealth
• Criticized the perceived parasitic nature of bankers, speculators, and monopolists
• Advocated for a cooperative economic system that would distribute wealth more fairly among producers

Eight-hour workday

• Campaigned vigorously for the reduction of working hours from the common 10-12 hour day to 8 hours
• Argued that shorter workdays would improve workers' health, education, and family life
• Organized demonstrations and strikes to pressure employers and legislators to adopt the 8-hour standard

Abolition of child labor

• Sought to end the exploitation of children in factories, mines, and other hazardous workplaces
• Advocated for compulsory education laws to ensure children received schooling instead of working
• Linked the elimination of child labor to improving adult workers' wages and job security

Equal pay for equal work

• Promoted the principle of wage equality regardless of gender or race
• Challenged prevailing wage disparities that often saw women and minorities paid less for the same work
• Viewed equal pay as essential for maintaining labor solidarity and preventing employers from undercutting wages

Membership and growth

• Experienced rapid expansion in the 1880s, becoming the largest and most influential labor organization of its time
• Adopted an inclusive approach to membership, breaking with traditional craft union exclusivity

Skilled vs unskilled workers

• Welcomed both skilled craftsmen and unskilled laborers, unlike many contemporary unions
• Sought to unite all workers in a single organization to increase collective bargaining power
• Faced tensions between skilled workers seeking to protect their status and unskilled workers demanding equal representation

Inclusion of women and minorities

• Opened membership to women and African Americans, making it one of the most inclusive labor organizations of its era
• Established Women's Assemblies to address specific concerns of female workers
• Faced internal conflicts over racial integration, particularly in Southern assemblies

Peak membership numbers

• Reached its zenith in 1886 with approximately 700,000 members nationwide
• Represented a significant portion of the American workforce, giving the Knights substantial economic and political clout
• Experienced rapid decline after 1886 due to internal conflicts and external pressures

Major campaigns and strikes

• Engaged in numerous labor actions that shaped the American labor movement and public perception of organized labor
• Demonstrated both the potential and limitations of broad-based worker solidarity in confronting industrial capitalism

Great Southwest Railroad Strike

• Occurred in 1886, involving over 200,000 workers across multiple railroad lines in the Southwest
• Protested wage cuts and unfair labor practices by railroad magnate Jay Gould
• Ended in defeat for the Knights, exposing weaknesses in their ability to sustain prolonged strikes

Haymarket Affair

• Took place in Chicago in 1886 during a demonstration for the 8-hour workday
• Resulted in violence when a bomb was thrown at police, leading to multiple deaths
• Although not directly involved, the Knights were associated with the incident in public perception, damaging their reputation

Impact on labor movement

• Demonstrated the potential for large-scale worker mobilization across industries and regions
• Highlighted the challenges of maintaining worker solidarity in the face of employer resistance and government intervention
• Influenced the development of more narrowly focused trade unions in the aftermath of the Knights' decline

Decline and legacy

• Experienced a rapid decline in membership and influence following its peak in the late 1880s
• Left a lasting impact on American labor history and the broader struggle for workers' rights

Internal conflicts

• Struggled with ideological divisions between radical and conservative factions within the organization
• Faced challenges in reconciling the interests of skilled and unskilled workers
• Suffered from leadership disputes and financial mismanagement, eroding member confidence

Competition from AFL

• Lost members to the newly formed American Federation of Labor (AFL) which focused on skilled craft unions
• Struggled to compete with the AFL's more pragmatic approach to labor organizing and collective bargaining
• Saw many of its local assemblies defect to AFL-affiliated unions, weakening its organizational structure

Lasting influence on labor

• Pioneered the concept of industrial unionism, influencing later organizations like the Industrial Workers of the World
• Advanced the idea of worker education and cultural development as integral to the labor movement
• Contributed to the eventual adoption of many of its goals, such as the 8-hour workday and restrictions on child labor

Knights of Labor vs AFL

• Represented two distinct approaches to labor organizing in late 19th century America
• Competed for members and influence within the broader labor movement

Organizational differences

• Knights of Labor organized workers across industries and skill levels in a single organization
• AFL focused on craft-based unions, organizing skilled workers in specific trades
• Knights emphasized a centralized structure, while AFL allowed more autonomy for affiliated unions

Ideological distinctions

• Knights advocated for broad social and economic reforms, including the eventual replacement of the wage system
• AFL pursued more immediate, practical goals such as higher wages and better working conditions
• Knights emphasized education and cooperation, while AFL focused more on collective bargaining and strikes

Membership composition

• Knights welcomed all producers, including farmers, small business owners, and professionals
• AFL restricted membership primarily to skilled male workers in urban industrial settings
• Knights were more inclusive of women and minorities, while AFL initially maintained more exclusionary policies

Political involvement

• Engaged in various forms of political action to advance workers' interests and broader social reforms
• Sought to influence legislation and electoral outcomes at local, state, and national levels

Third party movements

• Supported the formation of labor-based political parties as alternatives to the two major parties
• Participated in the Greenback-Labor Party and later the People's Party (Populists)
• Aimed to elect worker-friendly candidates and advance labor-oriented legislation

Legislative lobbying efforts

• Advocated for laws regulating working conditions, limiting child labor, and establishing labor bureaus
• Pushed for monetary reforms, including the expansion of currency to benefit debtors and workers
• Supported anti-monopoly legislation to curb the power of large corporations and trusts

Relationship with major parties

• Initially maintained a non-partisan stance, seeking to influence both Democrats and Republicans
• Gradually shifted towards closer alignment with the Democratic Party, especially under Powderly's leadership
• Faced challenges in balancing political engagement with maintaining worker solidarity across party lines

Cultural impact

• Developed a distinct working-class culture that extended beyond workplace issues
• Sought to educate and uplift workers through various social and cultural programs

Labor press and publications

• Produced numerous newspapers and journals to disseminate information and promote labor ideology
• Journal of United Labor served as the Knights' official organ, reaching a wide audience of workers
• Local assemblies often published their own papers, fostering a diverse and vibrant labor press

Social and educational programs

• Established reading rooms and libraries to promote worker education and self-improvement
• Organized lectures, debates, and cultural events to build class consciousness and solidarity
• Promoted temperance and other moral reforms as part of a broader vision of worker uplift

Symbols and rituals

• Adopted elaborate rituals and symbols influenced by Freemasonry and other fraternal orders
• Used emblems like the triangle (representing their motto of "An Injury to One is the Concern of All") to foster group identity
• Conducted initiation ceremonies and used secret passwords to create a sense of brotherhood and exclusivity

International influence

• Extended its reach beyond the United States, reflecting the increasingly global nature of labor issues
• Sought to build solidarity among workers across national boundaries

Expansion to Canada

• Established a significant presence in Canada, particularly in industrial centers like Montreal and Toronto
• Organized Canadian workers across various industries, including railroads and manufacturing
• Faced challenges navigating differences in labor laws and political systems between the U.S. and Canada

Impact on global labor movements

• Inspired labor organizations in other countries, particularly in Europe and Australia
• Exchanged ideas and strategies with international labor leaders, contributing to a global dialogue on workers' rights
• Influenced the development of more inclusive and industrial-oriented unions in other nations

Cross-border solidarity efforts

• Attempted to coordinate actions between American and Canadian workers, particularly in industries that spanned the border
• Supported strikes and labor campaigns in other countries through publicity and financial assistance
• Advocated for international labor standards and regulations to prevent employers from exploiting national differences in labor laws