Which labor organization was founded in Philadelphia in 1869 by Uriah Stephens?

The Knights of Labor was founded in Philadelphia in 1869 by Uriah Stephens.

Stephens and several garment workers established the organization as the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor. It initially operated as a secret society, partly because workers feared employer retaliation and blacklisting. The group later became more public and developed into one of the largest labor organizations in the United States.

Unlike many craft unions of the period, the Knights sought to organize workers across trades and included some groups commonly excluded from unions, although its membership policies were not fully inclusive. It advocated reforms such as the eight-hour workday, cooperatives, and limits on child labor.

The organization reached its greatest influence in the 1880s, then declined after internal conflicts and public backlash following the Haymarket affair. It is distinct from the AFL, founded later under Samuel Gompers.