Editing Knights of Labor (section)

===Southwest railroad strike of 1886===
{{Main|Great Southwest railroad strike of 1886}}
The Great Southwest railroad strike of 1886 was a Knights strike involving more than 200,000 workers. Beginning on March 1, 1886, railroad workers in five states struck against the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads, owned by Jay Gould. At least ten people were killed. The unravelling of the strike within two months led directly to the collapse of the Knights of Labor and the formation of the [[American Federation of Labor]].<ref>Theresa A. Case, ''The Great Southwest Railroad Strike and Free Labor'' (Texas A&M University Press, 2010); [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/433283/summary online review]</ref>

In 1886, following their peak, they started to lose more members to the [[American Federation of Labor]]. The Knights of Labor's fall is believed to have been due to their lack of adaptability and beliefs in old-style industrial capitalism. Another large reason for their decline was the tension between skilled craftsmen and unskilled workers.