What was the name of the first major national labor union in the United States, founded in 1869?

The organization that emerged as the first major national labor union in the United States, established in 1869, was the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor. Initially founded by Uriah Stephens and a group of Philadelphia garment workers, the Knights began as a secret society, a common practice for labor groups at the time to protect members from employer retaliation. This secrecy helped it grow quietly before it became a more public and influential force in American labor.

What made the Knights of Labor particularly unique and significant was its inclusive approach to membership. Unlike many craft unions that focused solely on skilled workers in specific trades, the Knights welcomed nearly all "producers" – including skilled and unskilled laborers, farmers, women, and African Americans. This broad tent philosophy was revolutionary for its era, reflecting a vision of a unified working class striving for common goals. The only groups generally excluded were bankers, lawyers, gamblers, and liquor dealers, seen as non-producers.

The goals of the Knights of Labor were ambitious and progressive for the late 19th century. They advocated for an eight-hour workday, equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, the abolition of child labor, and the establishment of worker cooperatives. They also supported arbitration over strikes, though they did engage in significant strike activity. At its peak in the mid-1880s, the union boasted hundreds of thousands of members and wielded considerable political and economic influence before internal divisions, failed strikes, and public backlash following events like the 1886 Haymarket Square riot contributed to its decline. The Knights of Labor paved the way for future labor movements by demonstrating the potential power of a united and inclusive working class.