Was The Ku Klux Klan Effective In The 1920s

The Invisible Empire of the 1920s mainly came from the south and southwest. They never were fully mainstream due to the fact that they brought about a lot of drama and negativity as well as opposition. Many states even went as far as to banish the Invisible Empire or pass laws that did not allow masks to be worn so that the public meetings that the KKK held would be broken apart. Although, the KKK were not mainstream they did however interact with the mainstream crowd daily. They did this to attract new members to their heinous group. Members were often short-term and unloyal. The continuous violence, egotism, and unsuccessful political power plays drove many members out of the Klan in the mid 1920s.

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.

Out of the three Klan’s, the one that he believes was the most mainstream was the Klan of the 1920s. One point that Shawn Lay makes is that at the peak of the Klan’s popularity if had acquired over four million members across the United States which he believed to be to high of a number to not be considered mainstream. He explains that even during the time in our country where we had widespread illiteracy there were very few people that haven’t heard of the Klan. He also makes several points that Americans would agree that no other organization except for the Klan could present such dark forces, racism and religious bigotry in the United States. Another good point that Shawn Lay makes is that many people agreed with the Klan’s views during WWI and it had the possibility to be considered a major influence during this time period. In the late 1920s the Klan’s social and political influence started to decline. One reason for this decline was because of a Klan Leader in Indiana named David C. Stephenson who was put on trial for murder. One of the last points that Lay makes is that even after the time period that the Klan had spread across the United States and became very popularly, it is still considered a historical enigma.

The Ku Klux Klan or KKK was founded in 1886 but by 1870 had spread to every southern state, its primary goal was to reestablish white supremacy, they did this through an underground campaign of intimidation and violence directed at white and black republican leaders, despite the lawlessness of its actions the KKK had almost unrestricted support from whites across the south.Jim Crow laws did not help this matter, Jim Crow laws were laws that mandated segregation in all public places. The conditions for African Americans were constantly inferior and underfunded compared to those of the whites Americans. In the pivotal 1896 Plessy VS Ferguson case the supreme court ruled that ‘Separate but Equal’ was constitutional however the facilities were never equal. In 1900 about 90% of blacks in America lived in the Southern States, where segregation was very strong. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s saw a rise in KKK activity, bombing black schools and churches, and violence against black and white activists. The treatment of blacks around America was another significant cause of the Birmingham movement, if blacks hadn’t faced such systematic and brutal discrimination then such direct action may not have been

The Klan gained popularity all over America and the members in the Klan topped 5 million men

The Reconstruction-era Klan, the 1920s Klan, and the modern Klan are three Ku Klux Klans in the United States history. Just as any terrorism group throughout human history, The Ku Klux Klans have often used scare tactics to enforce their power and scare minorities. No terrorist regime has lasted over the decades. They usually take the limelight for a small period of time. They are centered in newspapers, magazines, photos, journals, and broadcast media for the duration of their time and then they usually fade away. The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s is no exception. The 1920s Klan was founded by William J. Simmons in 1915 and then was disbanded. It was a powerful organization and had a huge political and social influence in the United States for a time. The 1920s Klan aims was against equal rights for African Americans, and resisted Catholics, Jews and foreigners. The 1920s Klan’s members always tried to control, oppress, and prevent the newly freed slaves from entering the mainstream of American life. The 1920s Klan took the spotlight into fame and media for their message of hate and anti-white American idealism. Was the Klan of the 1920s a mainstream organization?

The Ku Klux Klan was a racial hate group in the south that made sure blacks did not get any civil rights. Members in the Ku Klux Klan believed whites were superior to other races. The KKK hated the blacks because they believed slaves, who were the blacks, are to be less than human. Only white Anglo-Saxon Protestants or known as “WASPS” could become members. The members also had to pay monthly fees so they could “adopt a highway” to look good in the eyes of the communities.

The subject of the ku klux klan took pace in the time where there was a huge fight for equal rights for African Americans. It started in the reconstruction period after the american civil war. The klan helps express the anger the south felt towards the government for not having a plan to save their economy after the war

Although the group was founded in 1915, it wasn't very popular until the 1920s. The KKK hit its peak in the mid 20s with an estimated 4 million to 5 million members nationally. Most of the members were white middle class men. The Klan didn't just have a presence in the south it also had a strong presents in some northern states like Oregon, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. With popularity of the Klan spreading through the U.S. the Klan was experienced an increase in political power.  They were able to get klansmen in all levels of the government, even the senate.

This was a perfect time for the Klan to sell themselves to the American people, they offered everything Americans wanted at the time. The Klan acted on the heels of war and took advantage of the mind crippled Americans. Mecklin also points out that "Americans acted on their emotions very blindly"(Mecklin, 122). This was in turn a perfect fit for the Klan and America. The war torn Americans never wanted to feel in danger again, and for this reason they believed in the Klan. Americans followed The Klan with the hopes of eradicating any possible foreign dangers. The Klan deceived post war Americans and preached to them what they wanted to hear. The Klan gained millions of members during this time period and must attribute it to the conditions aroused by war.

The Klan was a very powerful group that took more notice in the 1920’s. They wanted to keep African Americans, immigrants, Catholics, Jews, Liberals, and Progressives away from wealth, social status and power. The Klan held secretive nocturnal rallies to issue threats, burn crosses and committed to assassinations. The Klan helped 16 U.S. senators and many representatives come to office. In the 1920’s people started to join the Klan because of how powerful they had become.

“The first incarnation of the KKK formed just after the Civil War, using terrorist violence as a means of maintaining white supremacy, but its influence "waxed and waned," as Gordon puts it, over the decades that followed” (Waxman 2). The Ku Klux Klan, aka KKK, is a white supremacist group who has done many cruel things to African Americans. Throughout many years, the KKK has grown power over politics, the news, and television as ways to try and exterminate African Americans. The KKK is a group that think the white people have the power over the African Americans, and that African Americans should not be treated as fair. Overall, the Ku Klux Klan impacted society through violence, white supremacy, and the nationwide attention the group was

The Hooded Truth: The 1920s Ku Klux Klan (1) Introduction Whether you call it a hate organisation or a terrorist movement, the Ku Klux Klan was one of the most influential groups of American history. More specifically, was the second Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, with its extreme atrocities and passionate philosophy. In understanding its revival, the report will dwell on the ideologies that sparked the Klan’s evolution. The evolution of the 1920s, with which began with the former Imperial Wizard, Mr. William J. Simmons. This report will focus on how Simmons revived the Ku Klux Klan and what role did Edward Young Clarke as well as Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler have in its successful reign.

Consisting mainly of white southerners,the Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 and had spread throughout almost every southern state by 1870. The group created an underground network that used intimidation and violence to deter both blacks and whites to reconstruct a racially broken society. "The Klan had used fear, intimidation and murder to brutally oppress over African-Americans who sought justice and equality and it sought to respond to the young workers of the civil rights movement in Mississippi in the same way." (Charles Randel). Legislation was later passed by Congress to suppress the Klan's terrorism, and sent them on the decline. White supremacy was revived in the early 20th century when members of the Ku Klux Klan began staging rallies, parades, and burning crosses. They also began condemning immigrants, Catholic Jews, blacks, as well as some minority groups. During the 1960's civil rights movement, the Ku Klux Klan bombed black schools and churches as a way to make a

There was no official end date for the original Ku Klux Klan. It was continuing during 1869 through 1870. After the Klan supported Democratic triumph in the state elections of 1870, the original organization began to fade away. One factor that help bring down the Klan was a growing recognition that the fear was legitimate. The original Ku Klux Klan declined in the 1870’s partly due to the passage of federal legislation aimed at prosecuting the crimes of Klansmen though some local cells continued to operate. The institutionalization of Jim Crow segregation in the southern states meant that the KKK’s desire to maintain the racial rankings had now been fulfilled.