The Ku Klux Klan And American History

In the 1920s, the United States of America was not as accepting as it is now. African Americans were discriminated against by white people, and many outrageous acts were made towards them. One of the leading groups that led racial separation was the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s played a large role in history, culture, and racial identity in the US.

Thesis: Arising from the growing development for the equality of African-American peoples in the United States, those who continued to support the alt-right became increasingly aware of their decreasing racial superiority, effectively resulting in their insecurity becoming the basis for the formulation of the Ku Klux Klan, violently targeting the increasingly powerful minorities.

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.

The third historical interpretation argues that the Klan was originally established as an organization as a result of a struggling plantation system. This particular perspective offers a differing view which allows for the reader to establish an understanding of the evolving interpretations of the Ku Klux Klan as an organization. Michael W. Fitzgerald, a historian in Reconstruction and agricultural history, makes an argument in his article, “The Ku Klux Klan: Property Crime and the Plantation System in Reconstruction Alabama” (1997), that the Klan originally emerged as a result of labor turmoil following the Emancipation Proclamation. Fitzgerald describes labor turmoil during Reconstruction as a conflict involving wealthy plantation owners

Yes: Shawn Lay rejects the view of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as a radical fringe group comprised of marginal men and instead characterizes the KKK of the 1920s as a mainstream, grassroots organization that promoted traditional values of law, order, and social morality that appealed to Americans across the nation.

it was just the South. the Ku Klux Klan was not ever based on Scottish clans evan though

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 second Ku Klux Klan lasted between 1915 to 1944 but predominantly rose and fell during the 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan was a white supremacist group with millions of members who brutally tortured and killed anyone who was not a white American. The Ku Klux Klan were known for their white robes, cone hats, and covered faces that disguised their identities. The second Ku Klux Klan’s most important part of it’s history was it’s dramatic rise and fall. The Ku Klux Klan rapidly gained popularity during the 1920s due to political encouragement and immigration, then fell due to political corruption.

Frustrated confederate soldiers made their way back home after losing the war that they had been fighting for four years. These men formed vigilante groups, attacking black people. While soldiers did this, wealthier men who had avoided fighting in the war formed agricultural and police clubs for the same purpose; both groups soon took shape and evolved into one large group, known as the Ku Klux Klan and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest became the first leader, known as the Grand Wizard. The name Ku Klux Klan is derived from the Greek word, Kyklos, meaning circle. The Ku Klux Klan, often shortened to the KKK, was founded in Tennessee in 1866 and grew to be one of the most feared terrorist groups in the United States, before dying off in 1869, but later being revived in 1915 (History.com Staff). The Ku Klux Klan negatively impacted the Reconstruction period through terror, intimidating Republican voters, and killing Republican officials.

During Reconstruction there were many failures recorded in this time period, such as the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK established in 1866 after blacks were given free equality in the United States. The members of the KKK would stretch all throughout the southern states and threaten Jews, Catholics, blacks, and republicans. The klan has caused over a thousand deaths. When going around and hitting every town the klan would meet up and hold underground meetings. They unfortunately could not weaken the political powers of the southerners and anyone in that matter. This group of people would do terrible things to innocent people.

Eight months after the Civil War, in the south the government was weak and there were no jobs available. On Christmas Eve of 1866, six confederate veterans started a social hate group in Pulaski, Tennessee. The six confederate veterans were John Lester, James Crowe, John Kennedy, Calvin Jones, Richard Reed, and Frank McCord. The group started off as just wanting to have fun and keep themselves entertained. The six founders were well educated and came from wealthy families. From their Greek knowledge, they use the word kyklos meaning circle and then added the word Klan. The Ku Klux Klan was then born. Nathan Bedford Forrest was the first leader of the Klan. He was known as the “Grand Wizard.”

The original Ku Klux Klan had deceased during the 1870s as post Civil War Reconstruction was drawing to a close. The organization had been largely responsible saving the South from corrupt outside influences. From 1869-1871 its objective was to destroy reconstruction by murdering the blacks and some whites who were either in Republican politics or educating black children. The Klan started to slowly fade away in 1871 after President Ulysses signed legislation making the Klan illegal. Moreover, Klan membership remained throughout South but the organization as a whole faded out.

The Klu Klux Klan existed in the Americas several years prior to the twenties, But it was around the years of 1925-1926 when they decided and expanded greatly due to the Great Migration. The Great Migration was the relocation of more than six million African Americans from the rural south to the cities of the north, Midwest, and west from 1916-1970, The Klu Klux Klan, aslso referred to as the “KKK” was mainly located in the south up to this point in history. Due to the Great Migration, people in places like Indiana and Illinois joined the Klan. The KKK then marched the capitol, which to this day is what I believe a major incident in history. Approximately fifty thousand KKK members paraded the streets of Washington D.C, in particular the

How many Klansmen does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None, they just beat the room for being black. The Ku Klux Klan is an essential part of United States history for many reasons, they were a widespread organization, they were the reason for many laws, but most importantly they spread awareness to civil rights and racial equality. Because of the xenophobic, racist, and nativist acts of the Klan in the past, we can now enjoy our peaceful country and know how to face racial inequality. Over the years there have been three main branches of the Ku Klux Klan, but the first may be the most important due to its

     The Ku Klux Klan has been around since the end of the civil war. It is a roller coaster of a history. From extreme power, to rapid decline, and slow reemergence. The clan, who is notorious for its violence, has a relatively innocent beginning. It was formed from some veterans from the confederate army and was first called the Kuklos Clan which, in Greek, meant Circle Clan. One person thought it would be a good idea to call it the "Ku Klux Klan" as a parody of the fraternity names which always had three Greek alphabet letters in it. They created the Clan to be mischievous and to do it without anyone knowing who they were which accounts for their costumes