What is The knights of labor?

Answer 1

The Knights of Labor was a labor union organized in 1869 by a group of tailors led by Uriah P. Stephens. They were a semi-secret Labor Union because at that time, men who joined Unions or attempted to organize workers were fired from their jobs. The Knights did not put emphasis on politics, like earlier unions, but stressed better working conditions, better pay, and job safety. The Knights welcomed all workers but saloonkeepers, lawyers, and gamblers. They did accept women and African-Americans as members, but not Roman Catholics. The Knights also attracted unskilled workers, a group that had not been unionized prior to the Knights. Terence V. Powderly succeeded Stephens as Union leader and made the Knights more public and acceptable to Catholics. The membership continued to grow. While Powderly did not like strikes, the Knights did win a series of strikes against employers. The beginning of the end of the influence of the Knights of Labor was the 1886 Haymarket Square strike. Membership fell when the Knights were unfairly accused of causing the strike.

Answer 2

The Knights of Labor were an early trades union and fraternal organization from 1869 to around 1900. They were instrumental in organizing unions to promote workers' rights during the 1870's and 1880's. They were largely supplanted by other unions in the late years of the 19th century.

Answer 3

The Noble Order of the Knights of Labor, founded in 1869, sought to unite all workers, both skilled and unskilled. In 1886, when its membership had reached more than 700,000, it split into two groups.