The knights of labor

the noble and holy order of the knights of labor (kol) was formed in 1869 in philadelphia. uriah s. stephens and a handful of tailors created this union to organize skilled and unskilled workers in the same union. the knights of labor offered membership to workers regardless of gender or race. in the early years, it was a secret organization because many workers who were openly in unions were fired. they created elaborate secret rituals drawn from the freemasons. by the early 1880s, they were a national force powerful enough to drop their secrecy.

the kol had ambitious goals. among these goals:

an eight-hour work day

end child labor

end the use of prison labor, which deprived other workers of jobs

equal pay for women

government ownership of railroads and telegraph lines

land policy that benefited settlers instead of speculators

a graduated income tax

although the kol initially opposed using strikes, they were common by the mid-1880s. the knights won strikes against the union pacific railroad in 1884 and the wabash railroad in 1885. but they failed to win the missouri pacific strike in 1886. that was the same year of the haymarket square riot, during which a bomb exploded, killing several policemen. soon the knights’ demands appeared to go against the american system of government and economy. opponents of the knights became more vocal. poor management, internal bickering, and feuds between skilled and unskilled workers eroded its support. by 1900, the knights of labor were virtually powerless, and other less radical unions became more popular.

the american federation of labor
samuel gompers had observed the knights of labor struggling. he knew that what workers wanted most were higher wages and improved working conditions. in 1886, gompers met with leaders from the masons’ union, the hatmakers’ union, and other craft unions to form the american federation of labor (afl). unlike the knights of labor, the american federation of labor did not seek to include unskilled workers. gompers believed the union would have more power if it represented only skilled workers. it also used strikes to force improvements for workers.

gompers recognized that support for the knights of labor had suffered because of the organization’s radical ideas. as a result, the american federation of labor pursued a more moderate course. it provided strike relief, or support, to striking workers so they could continue to provide for their families. successful strikes improve workers’ wages and reduced the length of their workweek.

by 1900, as the knights were declining, gompers’ union had over 500,000 skilled tradespeople in its ranks. he was seen as the leader of labor, and until the great depression, the afl was seen as the nation’s most important labor organization. the afl benefitted from gompers’ leadership and the realistic goals he set.

now select the correct responses to the following questions about the case study.

question 1(multiple choice worth 5 points)

which type of economic system was favored by small business owners?
controlled market
mixed economy
free market
planned economy

Q1-which of the following strategies did spain use in an attempt to thwart french claims to the texas territory after 1689? a. establishing a blockade on the texas coastline b. bringing spanish settlers up from mexico into spanish territory c. developing relationships with native american indian nations that would fight the french. d. paying off the french for the claim to texas with silver mined in its southern colonies q2-for which of the following reasons was texas's first petition for statehood in the united states denied? a. the issue of slavery prevented the united states from accepting texas as a state. b. the united states would not admit texas until the new republic was able to pay off its massive war debts. c. the united states knew that most texans did not think of themselves as americans and did not believe it was fitting to admit them. d. the united states did not want to damage relations with a weakened but still powerful mexico. q3-  which of the following brought about the final settlement of the official boundary lines of the state of texas? a. the compromise of 1850 b. the reincorporation of texas at the end of the civil war c. the peace treaty of the mexican-american war d. the 1845 act signed by the president that made texas a state q4-  which of the following was implemented by the texas state “carpetbagger’s constitution” of 1869? a. a repudiation of the state’s war debt b. disfranchisement of african americans who had previously gained the right to vote c. the abolition of slavery d. disfranchisement of whites who had participated in the civil war q5-  according to daniel j. elazar’s political culture classification system for the united states, to what  dominant  political subculture does texas belong? a. traditionalistic b. individualistic c. conservative d. moralistic q6-  school districts are governed by which of the following? a. an appointed board of trustees b. a city-council appointed manager c. an elected superintendent d. an elected board of trustees   q7- which of the following is the primary reason that special purpose districts are created? a. to provide services when no other unit of government exists to provide that service b. to give local residents more control over their affairs c. to take power away from city governments and place it with the county government d. to provide services at a more competitive rate than county or city services can q8-to pass an ordinance, a county government must do which of the following? a. pass it through the commissioner’s court with a majority vote b. get legislative approval c. get approval from the municipal government d. pass it through the commissioner’s court with a unanimous vote q9-which of the following is the primary function of county constables? a. ensuring the smooth running of the commissioner’s court b. serving as prison administrators c. enforcing the law through police actions within county jurisdiction d. serving as court officers for justice of the peace courts q10-which of the following is not true of the county judge’s powers or responsibilities? a. the county judge does not have to be a licensed attorney. b. the county judge is elected to four-year terms. c. the county judge presides over the commissioner’s court but has no vote in its proceedings. d. the constitution assigns judicial duties to the office of the county judge.