Misogynistic Women

Topic: In 1866, the Ku Klux Klan was founded by many former confederate veterans in retaliation to their current Republican Party’s Reconstruction-era policies aimed at establishing political and economic equality for blacks. The Reconstruction era sparked by President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation clearly defined that the days of white superiority were in dissolution. Through a willful ignorance and an insecurity of what might postlude the civil rights movement, the KKK rose, using terror in pursuit of their white supremacist agenda. Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Lieutenant general in the Civil war, became the KKK's first Grand Wizard. Now with a steady leader the klan became a persistent political party aimed at dismantling the increasingly

The Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK, was thriving in its second generation during the 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan was reborn by William J. Simmons, with the intentions of creating a world with only one race. Simmons’ inspiration came from the film, “Birth of a Nation”. The Ku Klux Klan became more hateful and violent than ever, creating a sense of fear among not only African-Americans, but Jews, Catholics, and immigrants too.

During the Reconstruction Era, Congress passed many laws to provide equal rights to people of color. But at the local level, specifically in the South, many Democrats took the law into their own hands. They supported the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hoping to restore the pre-Civil War social hierarchy. The texts in Going to the Source illustrate two groups of individuals who opposed the KKK. In testimonies given by white witnesses, Republicans from the North felt the KKK posed a political and social danger in the South, but did not feel intimidated. The testimonies given by black witnesses were people who had experience of the Klan’s violence, and felt their lives were threatened. The Klan’s attacks on whites were more inclined towards social harassment, while their attacks on blacks, which consisted of voting intimidation and night rides, were violent and abusive because the KKK’s main goal was white supremacy.

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 goal of this investigation is to delve into the question of: to what extent was the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s a reflection of societal change? In order to assess this question from multiple perspectives on the topic, research is needed to further look into the Klan’s motives both prior to their revival as well as after. Events in the 1870s, when the Klan ended, as well as events in the 1920s, when the klan was reborn, will be considered in this investigation in order to make connections between the KKK and why their revival in the 1920s reflected societal change. Among these events include the end of Reconstruction, the Progressive Era, increase of immigration to the United States, as well as the “red scare” of communism.

Shawn Lay, from “ The Second Invisible Empire and Toward a New Historical Appraisal of the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s”, rejects the view of the KKK as a radical fringe group comprised of marginal men and instead characterizes the KKK of the 1920s as a

During the Reconstruction Era, Congress passed many laws to provide equal rights to people of color. But at the local level, specifically in the South, many Democrats took the law into their own hands. They supported the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hoping to restore the pre-Civil War social hierarchy. The texts in Going to the Source illustrates two groups of individuals who opposed the KKK. In testimonies given by white witnesses, Republicans from the North felt the KKK posed a political and social danger in the South, but did not feel intimidated. The testimonies given by black witnesses were people who had experience of the Klan’s violence, and felt their lives were threatened. The Klan’s attacks on whites were more inclined towards social harassment, while their attacks on blacks, which consisted of voting intimidation and night rides, were violent and abusive because the KKK’s main goal was white supremacy.

“Across the state [of Minnesota] the Klan held official and unofficial positions of power (Weber).” During the hysteria of the Red Scare the Klan began wanting dominance over more than just blacks. Catholics, jews, and foreigners were now targets for the dominance they wanted. Anyone other than White protestants had loads to fear in the 1920s the KKK being the biggest

Girls are always told that we can be whatever we want to be. Whether that is a doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, or even a clown. That is true, but it is difficult for most women to achieve these goals because of a misogynistic society that prevents them from flourishing. Even though many people think that society has come a long way in making men and women equal, women are still treated as lesser people and make seventy nine cents to every dollar a man makes for doing the same jobs. I think that the reputation of women as second class citizens needs to change and the only way that can happen is for women to stop tearing each other down and stick together to demand equal rights for women in our backyard and all over the world.

Starting with one extreme of this spectrum, misogyny is the hatred of women. Misogyny is fueled by society’s ideas of masculinity. The way American culture thinks the actions and thoughts of a man should be places limitations on either sex. One limitation is the sexual division of labor. The sexual division of labor is determining the job or career path based on sex. This notion believes that women should be in the private sphere of the workforce, often focusing on the reproductive part of society, while men should be in the public sphere: the productive part of society. With women in the private sphere of society, the public finds it important to keep women where they are; this establishes male supremacy. (Kosmo 12-13). Kaeleen Kosmo talked

Most people know what misogyny is, but few know it’s opposite: misandry. Misandry is, as Anthony Synnott puts it in his paper on misandry, “The hatred of men, or more broadly, the hatred, fear, anger and contempt of men” (Synnott p. 2). Misogyny tends to be more private because it is, usually, easily detected, but misandry spreads rapidly and uses the media to enforce its beliefs. One of the ways that the media is used is through the news. Misandrists argue that most major villains of the last century were male ranging from Hitler to Osama Bin Laden with many in between, or that the Top 10 FBI Most Wanted List is almost always entirely male. To this Anthony Synnott has to say, “Most murders are male, but most males are not murderers” (Synnott

This change in attitude began with Hiram Evans. Evans was a Texas dentist who quickly rose to power within the KKK. He was soon appointed the title of Imperial Wizard, which essentially meant that he was the head of the KKK.1 Evans and Simmons, the Klan's founder, found themselves in a power struggle for the control of the Klan. In this fight, each of them embraced the idea of a women's Klan as a tactic of gaining support. Eventually, Evans gained control, and soon after this the Women of the Ku Klux Klan (WKKK) was chartered on June 10, 1923.2

The third article to be analyzed in this assignment is Glenn Feldman's Home and Hearth discusses the function of the women in the Klan. He focuses on the direct work on the relationship between females and Klan members. Although, women did not have many rights in the South and they did not have a formal membership, they played an important role. The importance was shown especially when it came to religious and secular life. They had to shape and carry out the Ku Klux Klan's program, and educate the children, the next generation. Women had to take care of the spiritual welfare of the family and the Klan.

The oppression of women has been brought into light in the recent years but it was the norm in many societies in early history especially in premodern east Asia. During that time, the roles of men and women in society were determined by great scholars that had the power to get their voice to be heard and set general rules in society. In China, scholars like Confucius, Mencius, and Mozi had great impact on the way people divided the roles between men and women. The overall oppression of women in premodern east Asia can be seen through quotes from great scholars about how women should be obedient to men, should not make important decisions in their families, and are not spoken of equally to men in society.