Rise and Fall of a Nation of Joiners: The Knights of Labor Revisited

Abstract

The rise and fall of Knights of Labor organization (1869Ð1917) has frequently been portrayed as a crucial event in history of exceptionalism. The KnightsO collapse heralded rise of more conservative unions (such as American Federation of Labor), which largely eschewed cause of major sociopolitical reform, focusing instead on minor wage disputes and workshop improvements. The impact of external competition from fraternal lodges and trade unions on Knights' ability to retain members is often overlooked. Both quantitative and qualitative evidence support conclusion that a profusion of voluntary associations during the golden age of fraternity had unintended consequence of undermining American workers' ability to organize and maintain a vital constituency mobilized for decisive political action.