Frustration Aggression Hypothesis

The source that proved most useful during the research process for this paper was the non-fiction White Terror by Allen W. Trelease. He was a recognized historian and Emeritus Professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Trelease specialized in southern history especially during the reconstruction and the civil war periods. This source features in this paper heavily, mostly because the chapters follow the KKK from the Klan’s beginnings all the way through the reconstruction period, which is the time period in discussion. In addition, the novel puts an emphasis on the success the Klan had in relation to what they aimed to accomplish with their actions. A limitation of the document would be that many of the Klan’s actions and motives were of a clandestine nature and therefore much of the dating and validity of information is estimated. The novel overcomes this drawback by referencing multiple primary sources such as a Ku Klux warning to Governor Henry Clay Warmouth of Louisiana on page 273.

There are three distinct historical interpretations of the Klan as an organization. The first historical interpretations argue that the Klan was established as an organization answering to a society in need of help with maintaining social order and law. Historians within this interpretation emphasize the playfulness and theatrical nature of the Klan which is unique to this particular historical perspective. This era of interpretation focuses very little on the violence that the Klan inflicted on Southern society, often completely eliminating its violent accounts from their historical works. The second historical interpretations argue that the Klan was established as a racially motivated political organization. Historians argued that because of the Klan’s origins as a racially motivated organization, the Klan would go on to establish political dominance and control over much of Southern society. The third and final historical interpretation argues that the Ku Klux Klan was established as a result to a struggling plantation system. Within this historical era of interpretation, Michael W. Fitzgerald describes the Klan as a non-violent enforcer that was created to control petty theft and labor riots. The establishment of the Klan as a political organization with race

Although not all went to the extremes of the KKK using terror, beating, and even murder to fulfill their quest in purifying America, they however they did support it’s ideology in many rural America. It has been estimated that, between the years 1920-27, the hands of the Klan members in the Southern states butchered 416 Blacks. Research indicates that most of the victims were innocent or were convicted of small offenses that certainly didn’t deserve such punishment. In the southern states, where the majority of the African American population resided, the notion of ‘white supremacy’ went unquestioned. Scarily enough, the KKK reached their hands into politics as well. In the state o f Indiana, the ‘Grand Wizard’, David Stephenson was politically powerful. It was also alleged that the Klan helped elect the governor of Maine, Colorado, and Louisiana in 1924. Moreover, on August 18th 1925 the Ku Klux Klan was able to parade down 40,000 men on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C without any intervention from state officials. Segregated facilities in government buildings remained unchanged since the first decade of the century, which showed the American government during the twenties was continually ignoring issues linked to ethnic minorities and the hostile attitudes of its people towards them. The act of

The second group was discovered in 1915, and developed public in the early 1920s, they disrupted Catholics and Jews, and dwelled on conflict to the Catholic Church. The first Klan that evolved was in the southern United States in the delayed 1860s, then distinguished by the early 1870s. This Klan supported radical traditional currents such as white dominance, white ethnocentricity, anti-immigration, anti-Catholicism, and anti-Semitism, classically communicated through terrorism and at individuals or groups whom they opposed. especially in later repetition, specifically in unknown areas of the Midwest and West. Although the crew of the KKK swear to confirm Christian honesty, practically every Christian faith has completely denied the KKK. This second formation for the klan interacted the similar code words as the first Klan, while adding mass flaunting and cross combustions. They focused on engagement to the Civil Rights Movement, often using homicide and brutality to abolish anyone they disliked. It is camouflaged as a hate group. The third and recent manifestation of the KKK occurred after 1950, in the form of small, local, isolated groups that use the KKK

The Klu klux klan was the largest terrorist group in American history to murder more than hundreds of thousands of people not only blacks but anyone who was outspoken about their support for civil rights. For example in document A the political cartoon depicts a horse that represents the kkk and two white men who were lynched; one of the men represents a carpetbagger and the other represents scalawags. Carpetbaggers were new people from the north who were working to form new governments and scalawags were white southerners who were supportive of reconstruction. The text states “... another brave, honest Republican citizen has met his fate at the hands of these fiends..” The man was left hanged in a jury room; the kkk would go to extreme measure to make examples out of others to control through fear.

The Klu Klux Klan was formed in 1866 by a group of Confederate soldiers in Pulaski, Tennessee. It was a social club or fraternity for the veterans but later had different views and became a terrorist group (PBS). The name of the group came from the Greek word “kyklos” meaning circle and then they added Klan to make the name flow (History.com Staff). It did not start with the thought of malicious activity. They would have secret meetings and elaborate ceremonies to discuss how they could stop reconstruction after the civil war. The members would wear white sheets that covered their whole body and pointy white caps to make them appear taller. This was an all white group and ended up being one of the deadliest terrorist groups (EyeWitness to History). General Nathan Bedford Forrest was the Klu Klux Klan’s first “grand wizard,” also known as

The start of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in 1866, expanded throughout most of the southern states by 1870. This Klan is known for its discrimination against African Americans, which has had major effects on today’s society. “Making or perceiving differences and distinctions,” is the definition of discrimination (Webster dictionary). Not only did they discriminate against Africans Americans but also Jews, and Catholics (history,com staff). Since the birth of the KKK society was not only affected by the discrimination of the Klan, but also the activities, and the brutal events.

The klan used violence and threats to try and restore white supremacy. Their main targets were freed men and their allies, sometimes by sending threatening messages, beating them, or murdering them. The klans violence was out of control. They were torturing, whipping, hanging, and killing blacks every day. They would also set houses on fire and sometimes set captured blacks on fire too.

Today although in some places crosses are still being burned and people are still being lynched by police in America the KKK are not as prominent as before, now Blacks die at the hands of the police, those sworn to serve and protect specifically in the south were the KKK originated. This is evident by a case that happened in November 2013, when a Black man named Alfred Wright’s car broke down in Jasper, Texas. He began walking for help and was found dead one week later with his ear cut off and his eye missing.

Hooded Americanism: The First Century of the Ku Klux Klan: 1865 to the Present by David Chalmers records the history of the Ku Klux Klan quite bluntly, all the way from its creation following the civil war, to the early 1960’s. The author starts the book quite strongly by discussing in detail many acts of violence and displays of hatred throughout the United States. He makes a point to show that the Klan rode robustly throughout all of the country, not just in the southern states. The first several chapters of the book focus on the Klan’s creation in 1865. He goes on to discuss the attitude of many Americans following the United State’s Civil War and how the war shaped a new nation. The bulk of the book is used to go through many of

This movement, the KKK, was formed in order to correct social injustices in the country. Although the movement was illegal, some states would use them to push their agenda. KKK would appear then disappear after some time. In 1920’s KKK had presence nationally, and it was growing fast. This movement was mostly violent. It would ‘solve’ any problem by instilling fear through public killing of perpetrators. Since it was a large movement with a lot of followers, KKK would certainly achieve whatever they wanted through violence. These movements were distinct and would be formed on a need basis. The first movement was involved in lynching African-Americans, while later movements had other

The members of the Ku Klux Klan also known as KKK were some policemen, who were active duty in the day and members by night. The Ku Klux Klan is a powerful group of assassins who killed African Americans. They would lynch, burn, and execute innocent lives. The police often commit crimes and accuse innocent African Americans for it just to clean up the dirty work. It took 10 minutes to convict 14-year old George Stinney Jr. “The police were looking for someone to blame it on, so they used my brother as a scapegoat.” (Washington Post, 2014). The police were looking for someone to blame it on the ones they

The Klan’s tactics of scaring the unclean were cruel, unusual and never, by any means, justifiable. The Klan “peaked at four to five million members” during the Twenties (Alchin). The Klan’s tactics could be somewhat simple such as “In 1924, about one hundred and fifty men and women dressed in complete Klan regalia held a day long rally at the Twin Falls city fair grounds. Other times their tactics were more violent. One Year after the rally “Twin Falls only black resident received a threat from the Klan (Matthews).”

This theory has played a significant role in helping mankind in the formation of social movements especially within contemporary society. It is imperative to note that Social movements are organized and sustained collective efforts that focus on some aspect of social change, and tend to persist over time in a more aggressive way compared to other forms of collective behaviour. Social movements may include actions that protect environments, defend the rights of the minority or promote social justice. The frustration- aggression theory argues that social movements are formed when frustration results in collective aggressive behaviour.

Further proof that the Klan’s true objective of their murders was purely to cause intimidation is shown when examining how well behaved black citizens were. In the South, “the Klan was not needed to enforce public order. Most freed slaves were law-abiding, and Klan claims to the contrary were simply a pretext for intimidating African Americans.” Since mostly all African Americans did not need law enforcement, what the Klan claimed to be their purpose was evidently irrelevant and unneeded. They claimed the reason for their actions was to protect the public from violent blacks but since they were clearly not violent, the Klan had no valid reason for murder.