Founded: Uriah Smith Stevens in 1869
- Developed the greatest under Terence Powderly in 1879, and in 1881 women were accepted into the union with the same rights as men.
- The height of its leadership was in 1886 with 700,000 members. This was only 20,000 in 1881.
- They were radical at the time, allowing women, AAs, immigrants and unskilled workers into their union.
- Following the Haymarket Affair in 1886 they lost a lot of their credibility as they were blamed for the violence, and saw a plummet in membership.
- Its membership was only 100,000 in 1890.
- The Union fully disbanded in 1949.
