Uriah Smith Stephens

1821–1882 (age 61)

labor activist/founder

Biography

Uriah Smith Stephens founded the Knights of Labor in 1869, laying the foundation for a nationwide movement that sought to unite workers across trades and promote dignity for working people.

Though ill health eventually forced him from the spotlight, his early leadership continued to inspire labor reformers, and he was buried at Mount Peace Cemetery when he died in 1882.