What was the first national labor union?

Answer 1

The first American labor union dated from before 1800, an association of shoe makers in Philadelphia called the Knights of St. Crispin. Workmen's Associations became the backbone of Andrew Jackson's supporters. By the end of the Civil War, there were lots of "unions" but they were local and had little contact with each other. In 1866 that changed when William Sylvis organized the National Labor Union and worked to organize workers in many different states and of different occupations. Sylvis believed that labor needed to become political to gain worker's rights, better wages, and safe working conditions. In 1869, a group of tailors, led by Uriah P. Stephens, formed the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor. They spread their message in secret, organizing workers of different jobs but not getting political. They realized that labor organizers and labor members would be fired by employers, so the Knights remained a secret organization as long as it could The Knights differed from the NLU also in that they accepted Blacks and women and unskilled workers. In 1879, Stephens was replaced by Terence V. Powderly, an the Knights became a labor powerhouse. The Knights continued to grow until the infamous Haymarket Square tragedy was unfairly blamed on the Knights, by business owners and officials. In 1866, a union organized that was composed of several associations of skilled workers. This union came to be called the American Federation of Labor and grew and held many successful strikes under the leadership of Samuel Gompers.

Answer 2

The Knight of Labor, started by Uriah Stephens in 1869, was the first national union. Craft unions existed before it, but it was the first labor union.

Answer 3

Knights of Labor