Knights Of Labor Research Paper

Initially a fraternal organization providing social events, sporting competitions, and education for working men and their families, the Knights of Labor soon advocated for the creation of cooperatives where members would serve as worker-owners who have input on the running of factories in hopes of making changes for the better of the working man. The Knights of Labor believed that the “alarming development and aggression of aggregated wealth, which, unless checked, will inevitably lead to the pauperization and hopeless degradation of the toiling masses” could only be stopped “through the unification of labor”. The Knights were open to all “producers” including skilled and unskilled workers and owners as well as women and African-Americans. Bankers, doctors, liquor manufacturers, lawyers, and stockholders were excluded because of their supposed lack in productive contribution to society. The union advocated for a national eight hour workday, the expulsion of Asian workers, the prohibition of immigration from the Far East, and an end to child labor. The Knights worked to make changes for all workers, regardless of affiliation with the group, and opposed strikes and boycotts. As the Knights of Labor began to fade away, another organization arose called the American Federation of

Since many laborers were immigrants, they frequently spoke different languages and harbored racial and cultural biases. Many only planned to stay in America long enough to earn enough money to return to their homelands

Immigrants came to America with hopes to be accepted and make an honest contribution to the country’s advancement. Instead they were ostracized and segregated. Pietri states, “thirty-thousand dollar home, the first spics on the block proud to belong to a community of gringos who want them lynched” (106-108). Although some

Labors did not have very good wages and it was problem during the Gilded Age. Labors’ had to live by paternalism, meaning that George Pullman owned them. It seems as if labors never got a profit for the long hours that they worked in the sweatshops. All the money goes straight back to Pullman, because they had to pay for rent and their goods and groceries provided by him. So basically, Pullman didn’t consider them valuable because there was always someone looking for a job. These reasons led to several unionizations like the Knights of Labor where they had to pay their dues to go on strike and fight for them. Anyone from radical to bosses could join this union except bankers and lawyers, which made no sense. They fought for workplace rights but where they did wrong is when they demanded outside workplace rights such as free public schools for their children. This union caused deaths

It was because they thought that the United States could give them opportunities for jobs, their livings and a better life. Not only benefited to immigrants, the United States was also improved in industrial because of immigrants as workers in factory. Moreover, the Gilded age in the United States rose in industrialization, technology, railroad and business. Therefore, the immigration in the United States was important to the past history of America because they made the United

The employers declared their opposition to these Boycotts by saying that were “un-american and anti-american”, and then they went turned to courts against the Unions. The most successful labor union, Knights of Labor was established in 1869 in Philadelphia. The Knights believed in a government determined by the people and production determined by the workers. Labor reform was one of the key objectives of the Knights of Labor. To the Gilded age labor reformers the debasement of politics and society rested in part on the capacity of the rich to corrupt governments in their own self interests. They Knights said that, “We declare an inevitable and irresistible conflict between the wage system of labor and republican system of government” (Rosenzweig,Pg 95-96). Knights of Labor extended their memberships to all of the working-class instead of just limiting to “skilled workers”. They broke the norm from other labor movements by including women, African Americans, Mexicans in their movements, who were previously shut out of the labor movement. While in some states, the Knights held combined assemblies where the Black and the White workers joined forces in demonstrations, some other places held separate assemblies and this garnered criticizm from some the skilled African American laborers(Rosenzweig, Pg 97). The knights excluded non producers such as lawyers, bankers, speculators, and

The Knights of Labor represented the pinnacle of the up lift labor movement. They, at one time, had membership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands and nearly hit a million members. This organization was unique in its time because it espoused many of the ideals we hold today as statutory for an ethical and equitable society as well as employee and employer relationships. The Knights of Labor did not begrudge industry or capitalism, moreover they were less of a concern than the organization’s larger goal to protect and promote social equity in labor and society, for the common man.

Many came from eastern and southern Europe such as the Irish, Germans, Italians and Polish. Immigrants came to America with hopes and dreams of prosperity, freedom of religion, freedom from fascism and dictatorship with the possibility of wealth and security. Many if not all of the immigrants encountered the complete opposite. Hard labor, poor living condition, low wages and illnesses were the problems often faced by the

When you hire a professional cleaning company, especially Alta Clean, to maintain your floors and carpeting, you can be sure that they will keep both looking good every day and for as long as possible. Professionals not only know how to clean your carpeting gently to keep carpet fibers intact and to guard against discoloration, they also know how to keep your floors polished and gleaming. A professionally-cleaned floor or carpet will improve your employee morale and show your clients that you care about them and your business.

Today, immigrants are some of the hardest workers within this country due to the hardships that they experienced when they first arrived to America. The workers were composed of men, some women, and even children. Women were paid less than men and over 1.7 million children under the age of 16 worked in factories and fields. Workers, who were mostly middle class, worked in horrible conditions, worked long hours, were paid the minimum amount and their jobs weren't stable. Since the government didn't regulate the working conditions within factories, the work place was usually unsafe and unhealthy for workers to be in. By 1900 roughly thirty five thousand workers were killed each year while within their work place. If a worker was to be hurt or killed within the work place the employer would almost never pay the worker or compensate the worker for his injury or death. Workers would usually work around 10 hours a day 6 days a week. This not only takes a toll on the worker, but on his family aswell. Workers had to work that long in order to support their families since they were being paid the bare minimum. They were also easily replaced. If a worker was injured or became sick, they would be replaced almost instantly. This made the jobs very unstable and people were constantly being replaced by newer people. This resulted in the rate of injuries increasing every year. Employers would hire women and children to save money. They would be paid much less than a man, and would do

The successes and failures of the Knights of Labor, have generated many controversial issues that have helped shape the North American labor movement. They fought for eight-hour day shifts, abolition of child labor, equal pay for equal work, and political reforms, including the graduated income tax in the late 1800s. During this time period, many immigrants were coming to America to find jobs. The Knights affected all sorts of workers from this time period, including skilled and unskilled workers. In the present, a holiday, more equality, and government passed Acts were created thanks to the inspiration of the Knight’s actions. In the late 18 hundreds the Knights of Labor Union affected people’s lives, this including skilled and unskilled workers.

The Gilded Age was the last three decades of the nineteenth century, when America’s industrial economy exploded generating opportunities for individuals but also left many workers struggling for survival. With the many immigrants, skilled and unskilled, coming to America the labor system is becoming flooded with new employees. During this period, the immigrants, including the Italians, were unskilled and the skilled workers were usually American-born. There was also a divide in the workers and the robber barons. Robber barons were American capitalist who acquired great fortunes in the last nineteenth century, usually ruthlessly. There was much turmoil throughout the business and labor community. Two major organizations, the Knights of

In the late 19’th century, many new immigrants came to America with hopes to escape religious and political persecution, to find better employment opportunities, for more freedoms, and a chance to start over again. The immigrant work force grew fast as the demand for factory labor grew. These immigrants were important to industrialization in the United States. They were willing to work in unsanitary work conditions for little pay. Because of this, American industries were able to hire more of these types of workers. Although they were unskilled, the type of jobs they were required to do were jobs that didn’t demand much knowledge.

As Immigrants would come through Ellis Island and other places with a gleaming amount of hope, they would experience something totally different on the other side. Inside the US was this feeling of Anglo-Saxon superiority and therefore immigration was frowned upon in may areas. An immigration officer from this time period cited “early economic opportunity came to an end” as one of the major things that affected immigrant life. They [immigrants] were left to find day jobs working at the first opportunity that presented itself and then return to the tenement. Out of this pattern grew an extreme feeling of isolation. Immigrants lived in their own communities, socialized with their own, and slept with their own. Nativist feelings from the american-born community were real and present and ultimately the belief was to sleep, eat, and work for someone else and be content.

With so many businesses expanding during industrialization, millions of jobs opened up throughout the United States. The good thing about this is that immigrant men and women (and even children) could earn money for their family and pay for food.