"The recent alarming development and aggression of aggregated wealth, which, unless checked, will inevitably lead to the pauperization and hopeless degradation of the toiling masses, render it imperative... that a check should be placed upon its power and upon unjust accumulation, and a system adopted which will secure to the laborer the fruits of his toil." — Preamble, Knights of Labor Constitution, 1878
Which event most directly contributed to the decline of the organization that issued this preamble?
- A
The end of Reconstruction in 1877
- B
The opening of Ellis Island in 1892
- C
The passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883
- Dcheck_circle
The Haymarket affair of 1886 and the public association of unions with anarchism
Explanation
After Haymarket, public opinion turned against the Knights despite their disavowal of the bombing, and membership collapsed as the AFL emerged.