Knights of Labour
Preserved but no longer current.
An organization of working men, founded at Philadelphia in 1869. At first secret, it later emerged to play an important part in the American Trade Union movement. Its objects were to regulate wages, hours of work, etc., and to control strikes. It secured the establishment of Labour Day (?.v.) as a national holiday.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Knights of Labour” mean?
An organization of working men, founded at Philadelphia in 1869. At first secret, it later emerged to play an important part in the American Trade Union movement. Its objects were to regulate wages, hours of work, etc., and to control strikes. It secured the establishment of Labour Day (?.v.) as a national holiday.
Is “Knights of Labour” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.