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Sasha Blakeley, Jason McCollom

Sasha Blakeley
Sasha Blakeley has a Bachelor's in English Literature from McGill University and a TEFL certification. She has been teaching English in Canada and Taiwan for seven years.
View bio

Instructor Jason McCollom
Jason has a PhD.
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Learn about the Knights of Labor goals and significance. Read about the Knights of Labor leader Terrance Powderly and his contribution to the labor movement. Updated: 05/16/2022

Who were the Knights of Labor? The Knights of Labor, formally called The Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, were members of an American labor federation and union effort originally founded in 1869. The original Knights of Labor definition that the group's founder put forward was similar in many ways to Freemasonry, involving rituals and a secret society for members. In addition to these ritualistic aspects, the Knights of Labor fought for better safety conditions and pay for workers in a number of industries. They were ultimately one of the precursors to other later union efforts such as the American Federation of Labor. Like many movements of its kind, the Knights of Labor had a period of great success followed by a decline when members' efforts were met with backlash from business owners and government officials.

The Labor Movement

We've all had a job we weren't particularly fond of. Luckily, there are many protections that keep us safe at work and provide channels to pursue redress if we're treated unfairly. We can thank the American labor movement for many of these gains! In the late 19th century, the Knights of Labor was at the forefront of the movement for workers' rights.

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The Knights of Labor: Background

In the years following the Civil War, the United States experienced rapid industrialization. The population began to increase and the role of workers in the economy changed. Larger corporations and businesses began to develop and they held a great deal of power over their workers. There were few measures in place to secure workers' safety, and wages were often low. Although slavery had recently been abolished, indentured servitude remained legal for those paying debts or experiencing other financial difficulties. There were no laws in place limiting the number of hours in a workday, securing overtime payments, or even establishing a minimum wage. Many industries, such as railways, lumber, mining, and agriculture, were extremely dangerous, and the risk of injury or even death for workers on the job was high.

The Early Labor Movement and the Gilded Age

The time after the Civil War is known as the Gilded Age. During this time, industrialization led to a massive increase in wealth for business owners in America. Corporate greed flourished as never before. The excess and growth of the Gilded Age was particularly marked in contrast to the economic downturn that began with the Panic of 1837, when international changes in the trade of gold and silver along with other local factors caused a sudden loss of economic prosperity in the United States that lasted for much of the 1840s. Previous economic hardship and the recent and profound impact of the Civil War on the lives of many Americans made the newfound economic prosperity all the more striking.

As the Gilded Age took off, so did the labor movement. Workers could see that the companies they worked for were making huge amounts of money, and that their profits were directly tied to the exploitation of workers and their labor. People began organizing unions to fight for their rights in the workplace and to create a more just economic system. Employers, by and large, were extremely threatened by unionization efforts. They feared that unions would be obstacles that got in the way of successful and competitive business ventures. Success in business in a capitalist economic system relied on producing as many goods as possible for the lowest possible price, and that meant having workers who worked long hours for low pay.

The Knights of Labor: Goals and History

The Knights of Labor founder was a man named Uriah Smith Stephens. Due to economic hardship, he was forced to work in indentured servitude. His experiences and his understanding of the current economic system pushed him to consider how the labor movement could better serve workers. At the time, unions typically focused only on a single workplace, attempting to secure better working resources for workers at a particular factory, farm, or company. Stephens recognized that the needs of workers across many companies and industries were by and large the same, so he decided to found an organization that would ideally unite all workers and push for better rights.

Uriah Smith Stephens founded the Knights of Labor in 1869 after his own experiences of indentured work.

In 1869, he founded the Knights of Labor along with a number of garment cutters who had recently experienced a failed attempt at unionization. The Knights of Labor's goals were to create a kind of umbrella union that could support smaller, individual union efforts through collective bargaining and strike tactics. It is important to note that the Knights of Labor definition in U.S. history is not just a labor movement, but one of the first movements of its kind. Other large-scale union efforts that followed were often based on the overall structure that Uriah Smith Stephens developed.

The Positions of the Knights of Labor

The Knights of Labor were, for the most part, remarkably inclusive in terms of who they accepted into their ranks. They welcomed membership from workers in a wide variety of industries, including agricultural workers, industrial workers, textile workers, and many more. Generally, people were permitted to join as long as they were what the Knights of Labor deemed ''producers,'' or people who created a physical product over the course of their workday. Lawyers, bankers, academics, and saloon owners were excluded from the organization because they were not considered producers, so their goals were not thought to be clearly aligned with the goals of the Knights of Labor.

A few years after Stephens founded the Knights of Labor, the organization changed its policy to allow women to join as equal members to men. At the time, such a stance was considered especially radical. Black workers were also permitted to join the organization. Workers considered both ''skilled'' and ''unskilled'' were sought equally. One point of exclusion in the Knights of Labor's policy was immigrant workers. They were particularly antagonistic toward Asian immigrants, whom they saw as competition that bosses would use to undermine their efforts to raise wages. The organization voiced its support for both the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Alien Contract Labor Law of 1885 because of their view that immigration threatened the American workforce's rights and power.

Workers in the Gilded Age

It would be an understatement to say that work conditions in the Gilded Age, the period between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the year 1900, were difficult. Jobs such as an iron smelter or a railroad brakeman could easily get one killed or maimed. Workers at mechanized steam laundries, for instance, developed swelling and skin ulcers from the contaminated wash-water discharging over their arms and legs.

Even jobs that didn't hold the possibility of physical injury paid very little, required 12-hour shifts six days per week and offered none of the benefits we're accustomed to today, such as minimum wages, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, health coverage, or pensions. Finally, many industrial jobs had become de-skilled, meaning workers needed no special talents to perform them, and thus, they could be replaced quite easily.

In addition to these significant challenges, employers opposed unions. A union is a group of workers joining together to demand improved labor conditions. Unions can be effective through strength in numbers and by acting collectively. Many business owners considered unions a threat to their bottom line and an obstacle to staying competitive. Many employers also believed unions represented the opposite of the American virtues of independence and autonomy.

To combat union activity, many business leaders utilized several strategies. New hires were often forced to sign a 'yellow dog contract,' which effectively barred the worker from joining a union under the threat of being fired. Employers also shared 'blacklists,' which were a compilation of all the names of union activists in an area. And, if union members went on strike, owners employed strikebreakers to replace them in the factories.

The Rise of the Knights of Labor

To combat this dismal situation for workers, unions of the Gilded Age pursued two broad strategies. The first strategy attempted to organize mostly skilled tradesmen in a single job, such as carpenters or railroad brakemen. The second approach involved broader organization and attempted to bring together workers from a variety of jobs, both skilled and unskilled, and even those of different ethnicities, races, and/or genders. The Knights of Labor pursued this second strategy.

In the 1870s and 1880s, the Knights of Labor built the largest and most successful union in the United States, despite significant challenges in organizing. It was difficult to create a union across the huge geographical distances of the country and throughout the large scale of industrial enterprises. Also, the divides between the various occupations and groups of workers posed barriers to effective organization.

Uriah Stephens formed the Knights of Labor in 1869, but the union gained a national following when Terence Powderly assumed leadership. Powderly pursued the strategy of bringing in any and all workers into the union, thus creating the most broad-based union in the country. When Powderly presided over a successful Knights of Labor-led strike against railroads in the Southwest, the union's membership mushroomed from 100,000 in 1885 to 750,000 in 1886.

The strength of the Knights of Labor was focused mainly in the industrial areas of the Northeast and Midwest; St. Louis, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Omaha had particularly strong locals. Even in the South the union had a powerful presence in certain occupations, such as telegraphers. The Knights also had all-black, all-Italian, and all-Jewish locals. Lumbermen, stevedores, laundry-women, housekeepers, and many other industrial workers eagerly joined the growing ranks of the Knights of Labor.

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The Labor Movement

We've all had a job we weren't particularly fond of. Luckily, there are many protections that keep us safe at work and provide channels to pursue redress if we're treated unfairly. We can thank the American labor movement for many of these gains! In the late 19th century, the Knights of Labor was at the forefront of the movement for workers' rights.

Workers in the Gilded Age

It would be an understatement to say that work conditions in the Gilded Age, the period between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the year 1900, were difficult. Jobs such as an iron smelter or a railroad brakeman could easily get one killed or maimed. Workers at mechanized steam laundries, for instance, developed swelling and skin ulcers from the contaminated wash-water discharging over their arms and legs.

Even jobs that didn't hold the possibility of physical injury paid very little, required 12-hour shifts six days per week and offered none of the benefits we're accustomed to today, such as minimum wages, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, health coverage, or pensions. Finally, many industrial jobs had become de-skilled, meaning workers needed no special talents to perform them, and thus, they could be replaced quite easily.

In addition to these significant challenges, employers opposed unions. A union is a group of workers joining together to demand improved labor conditions. Unions can be effective through strength in numbers and by acting collectively. Many business owners considered unions a threat to their bottom line and an obstacle to staying competitive. Many employers also believed unions represented the opposite of the American virtues of independence and autonomy.

To combat union activity, many business leaders utilized several strategies. New hires were often forced to sign a 'yellow dog contract,' which effectively barred the worker from joining a union under the threat of being fired. Employers also shared 'blacklists,' which were a compilation of all the names of union activists in an area. And, if union members went on strike, owners employed strikebreakers to replace them in the factories.

The Rise of the Knights of Labor

To combat this dismal situation for workers, unions of the Gilded Age pursued two broad strategies. The first strategy attempted to organize mostly skilled tradesmen in a single job, such as carpenters or railroad brakemen. The second approach involved broader organization and attempted to bring together workers from a variety of jobs, both skilled and unskilled, and even those of different ethnicities, races, and/or genders. The Knights of Labor pursued this second strategy.

In the 1870s and 1880s, the Knights of Labor built the largest and most successful union in the United States, despite significant challenges in organizing. It was difficult to create a union across the huge geographical distances of the country and throughout the large scale of industrial enterprises. Also, the divides between the various occupations and groups of workers posed barriers to effective organization.

Uriah Stephens formed the Knights of Labor in 1869, but the union gained a national following when Terence Powderly assumed leadership. Powderly pursued the strategy of bringing in any and all workers into the union, thus creating the most broad-based union in the country. When Powderly presided over a successful Knights of Labor-led strike against railroads in the Southwest, the union's membership mushroomed from 100,000 in 1885 to 750,000 in 1886.

The strength of the Knights of Labor was focused mainly in the industrial areas of the Northeast and Midwest; St. Louis, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Omaha had particularly strong locals. Even in the South the union had a powerful presence in certain occupations, such as telegraphers. The Knights also had all-black, all-Italian, and all-Jewish locals. Lumbermen, stevedores, laundry-women, housekeepers, and many other industrial workers eagerly joined the growing ranks of the Knights of Labor.

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What did the Knights of Labor do?

The Knights of Labor recruited workers in a wide variety of industries. It then coordinated strikes, negotiations, and other efforts to secure workers' rights and to raise wages.

What was the Knights of Labor organization?

The Knights of Labor was an organization that advocated for the rights of American workers during the Gilded Age. It was one of the first large-scale union efforts of its kind.

What were the main goals of the Knights of Labor?

The Knights of Labor worked to make the labor environment safer and less exploitative across many industries. They also tried to increase unionization efforts to give workers more power over their own lives and work experiences.

Did the Knights of Labor achieve their goals?

The Knights of Labor achieved many of their goals, especially at the height of their membership. They also made lasting impacts on the labor landscape of the United States. However, there is always more work to be done to secure workers' rights and freedoms, and the Knights of Labor ultimately disbanded.

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# data[].attributes.headline
The knights Of Labor had an impact on society because work had become an eight-hour workday with health and safety laws to protect workers and a system that would provide for them if they were injured on the job.

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The knights Of Labor had an impact on society because work had become an eight-hour workday with health and safety laws to protect workers and a system that would provide for them if they were injured on the job.

# data[].attributes.headline
Uriah Stephens gathered a handful of workers in that craft to launch the Knights of Labor.

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Uriah Stephens gathered a handful of workers in that craft to launch the Knights of Labor.

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Uriah S. Stephens was the founder. He believed that laborers had a right to have interest of themselves.  

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Uriah S. Stephens was the founder. He believed that laborers had a right to have interest of themselves.  

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They started knights of labor, to improve working hours and conditions for laborers.

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They started knights of labor, to improve working hours and conditions for laborers.

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Was formed to give equal pay to men and women, also ended child labor and gave fair hours out of the day.

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The knight of labor was formed to fight for equal pay, fair working hours, and end child labor.

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It was A small group of 8 garment cutters. They were a part of modern labor movement.