Question

Compare the accomplishments and limitations of american farmer labor movements of the 1870s and 1880s, such as th greenback- labor party and the knights of labor, with those of the american federation of labor

Answer 1

The American Federation of Labor, consisting of mostly craftsmen, was not so friendly to women and blacks. There was not so much room for department store workers and domestic servants, whom the Knights had organized. Skilled and well paid workers that were more interested in in winning a larger share in the corporate rewards constituted the American Federation of Labor. Knights on the other hand were of the opinion that ordinary people should have control over the enterprises in which they worked, and therefore recommended that shops owned by employees should be set up, thereby transforming America into a “cooperative commonwealth”. They called for the government to endorse more greenback dollars and increase the amount of money in circulation.

Answer 2

The accomplishments of the three labor organizations varied. The Greenback Party, active between 1874 and 1889, had candidates in three presidential elections but failed to win, and they declined when they failed to win any House seats in the election of 1884. The Knights of Labor became one of the largest labor organizations in the 1880’s, but charges of violence alleged links to Freemasonry caused their decline too. The American Federation of Labor is a story of success, politically and throughout the labor movement to this day.