The Knights of Labor and their Impact on the Labor Movement essay

The Knights of Labor had a significant impact on the development of the labor union movement in the US. The Knights of Labor laid the foundation to the labor movement in the US and changed consistently relationships between employers and employees. Moreover, the Knights of Labor movement affected consistently the development of the US society at large. The Knights of Labor became a powerful labor organization that protected interests and rights of employees.
The Knights of Labor was created in 1869. The Knights of Labor became the first organization, which aimed at the protection of rights and interests of employees. First members of the organization were tailors but soon employees from other industries, such as pipefitting industry, joined the organization to obtain the protection and support of the first labor union in the US. In this regard, the Knights of Labor became a powerful organization that united employees in the US. The number of its members grew progressively during first years of its existence. To put it more precisely, by 1880, the number of members of the Knights of Labor was 28,000, whereas in 1886, the number of union members was 700,000.
It proves beyond a doubt that employers as well as policy makers could not ignore such a huge organization uniting hundreds of thousands of people nationwide. Naturally, employers have to take into consideration their position and to respect their needs and interests. In such a way, employees, who joined the Knights of Labor, could take advantage of their membership and get support and protection in case of conflicts with their employers.
In such a context, the significance of the Knights of Labor in the rise of the labor movement in the US can hardly be underestimated. First, the Knights of Labor proved that employees can protect their rights and interests effectively. At the same time, the creation of the Knights of Labor accelerated consistently the development of the labor movement in the US. In this respect, it is possible to refer to the statistics of the growth of the organization which proves that employees were ready to participate in the labor movement and to protect their rights and interests.
In addition, the Knights of Labor influenced the development of the US economy consistently because employers and companies operating in the US could not ignore the position of employees anymore. Instead, they should negotiate with employees and unions. In such a way, the philosophy of employer-employee relationships in the US had changed because employers could not set their own conditions of work anymore. Instead, they had to respect needs and interests of employees.
Thus, the Knights of Labor became the first labor union, which gave rise to the labor movement in the US and defined the development of the US economy and society for decades ahead. Obviously the Knights of Labor had a significant impact on the development of the labor movement in the US and the US society.