United States 1869

Synopsis

The Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor began in 1869 as a small, secret organization of Philadelphia garment cutters. After dropping the oath of secrecy in 1882, membership grew from around 20,000 to 111,000 in 1885. The order's motto, "An injury to one is the concern of all," was fitting for the first national labor union that recruited all producers (workers and employers) as well as the unskilled, African Americans, and women, none of whom had been previously organized. Ideologically, in its early years, the Knights opposed the wage system, still believing that its cooperative efforts would allow workers to escape wage slavery. After a successful strike against the Wabash railroad, the Knights' membership swelled to 111,000 in 1885, and new recruits began to demand better wages and working conditions rather than long-range reform. By 1886 membership exceeded 700,000, but it declined precipitously to 250,000 in 1887, after unsuccessful...