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Difficulty: MediumLabor Movements and Gilded Age Conflict

Read the excerpt below and answer the following question.

"We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more constant employment and less crime; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures... We are practical men, and we seek practical results. The trade union movement is the only organization that has successfully fought for the reduction of the hours of labor, the increase of wages, and the protection of the worker against the tyranny of monopolies."
— Samuel Gompers, "What Does the Workingman Want?" 1890

Which of the following best describes a major difference between the strategies of the organization led by Samuel Gompers and those of the Knights of Labor?

  1. The American Federation of Labor focused on organizing skilled craft workers to achieve immediate economic benefits, whereas the Knights of Labor sought to organize all workers, skilled and unskilled, to pursue broad social and cooperative reforms.Answer
  2. B
    The American Federation of Labor sought to achieve its goals by forming a national third-party political coalition with agricultural reformers, whereas the Knights of Labor rejected all political activity.
  3. C
    The American Federation of Labor advocated for the federal government to take direct ownership of major infrastructure, whereas the Knights of Labor opposed federal intervention in labor disputes.
  4. D
    The American Federation of Labor sought to restrict its membership to women and unskilled industrial immigrants, whereas the Knights of Labor restricted membership to white male skilled artisans.

Answer

The American Federation of Labor focused on organizing skilled craft workers to achieve immediate economic benefits, whereas the Knights of Labor sought to organize all workers, skilled and unskilled, to pursue broad social and cooperative reforms.
The correct answer correctly identifies that the American Federation of Labor focused on skilled craft workers to achieve concrete, immediate economic improvements (bread-and-butter unionism), while the Knights of Labor organized workers of all skill levels and pursued broader social and cooperative reforms.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document, identifying the author (Samuel Gompers) and the organization (American Federation of Labor).
Gompers emphasizes a practical approach to trade unionism centered on wages, hours, and working conditions.
This establishes the core philosophy of 'bread-and-butter' unionism practiced by the American Federation of Labor.
2
Compare this approach to the other major labor union of the era, the Knights of Labor.
The Knights of Labor sought broad social reforms and organized both skilled and unskilled workers, whereas the American Federation of Labor organized skilled workers by craft.
This highlights the primary point of comparison and differentiation between the two dominant labor groups.
3
Evaluate the response options to identify which statement accurately reflects this difference.
The option describing the American Federation of Labor's focus on skilled craft workers and immediate economic goals versus the Knights' focus on broad social reforms and all workers is correct.
It directly matches the historical differences between the American Federation of Labor and the Knights of Labor.

Key Concept

Comparison of Gilded Age labor organizations and their strategies.
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Topics

Labor Movements and Gilded Age Conflict

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