Knights of Labor Constitutions on Microfilm
Collection Number: 5427 mf
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Title:
Knights of Labor Constitutions on
Microfilm, 1881-1906
Collection Number:
5427 mf
Creator:
Knights of Labor
Quantity:
2 microfilm reels
Forms of Material:
Constitutions, microfilm.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and
Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
Constitutions from the Knights of Labor
Language:
Collection material in English
The Knights of Labor (K of L), officially Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of
Labor, was the the largest American labor organizations of the 1880s. Their most
important leader was Terence V. Powderly. They promoted the social and cultural
uplift of the workingman, and rejected Socialism and radicalism, they demanded the
eight-hour day. After the mid-1880s they went back to being a smaller organization,
they had started as a labor union, negotiating with employers, but it was poorly
organized.
Starting in 1869, it reached 28,000 members by 1880, then increased to 100,000 in
1885. Its largest membership was around 1886 with close to 800,000 members. Most of
their members abandoned the movement in 1886-87, resulting in only 100,000 members
by 1890. By 1949 the last 50-member local dropped its affiliation.
The Knights of Labor contibuted to the tradition of labor protest songs in America.
They included music in their regular meetings and alwasys encouraged local members
to write and perform their own work.
Names:
Knights of Labor
Subjects:
Constitutions
Form and Genre Terms:
Constitutions.
Microfilm.
Access Restrictions:
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a
reference archivist for access to these materials.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet
and Procedures for Document Use.
Cite As:
Knights of Labor Constitutions on Microfilm #5427 mf. Kheel Center for
Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
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Container
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Description
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Date
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| Reel 1 | 1881-1906 | ||
|
positive
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| Reel 2 | 1887 | ||
|
positive
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