Comparison of Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor 

The words in quotation marks are from the textbook.

Tips:

  • For some people, placing the same type of data for different organizations side by side makes it easier to learn and to compare.
  • A cheap way to do this is to make a Xerox of facts you have to be able to compare and contrast and then cut those facts—such as the quoted words show below—apart and move them, so that equivalent facts are side by side. This simple action can speed up learning.

 

Issue

Knights of Labor

American Federation of Labor

When?

1869

1886

Leader?

Terence V. Powderly

Railroad

Samuel Gompers

Cigar maker

Members?

“all who had ever worked for wages, except lawyers, doctors, bankers, and those who sold liquor”

“skilled and unskilled” – industrial union

 

Women (equal pay)

Craft unions – skilled only

Goals?

Like prior groups such as:

·        Labor statistics

·        8-hour work day

·        Worker cooperatives

 

“concrete economic goals”:

·        Wages up

·        Hours down

·        “better working conditions”

Size?

1880s

·        From 100,000

·        To 700,000

1890s gone

c. 1900 - 500,000

1914 – 2 million

1920 – 4 million

But under 15% of workers

Key Events?

1886 Haymarket Riot (and other names)

Trial of anarchists

Execution

 

 

 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2016

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2016

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/