Why I Quit the Klan

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

On November 17, 1951, the Norfolk Journal and Guide published “South Carolina Sheriff Calls On Klansmen To Disband: Fight On Hooded Order Continues Officer Vows KKK In Horry County Will Not Survive,” which is about Sheriff C. E. Sasser’s fight against the Ku Klux Klan in Horry County, South Carolina. Sasser appeared on the radio and called for the KKK to disband; according to Sasser, the Klan brought “unfavorable publicity” to the county. During the radio appearance, he recounted a recent incident with the organization and what he, his police force, and government were doing to stop the KKK.

To understand the Klan, then, it is necessary to understand the character and present mind of the mass of old-stock Americans. The mass, it must be remembered, as distinguished from the intellectually mongrelized "Liberals.'

I am Negro-and beautiful”” (Document E). With all of this newfound black spirit’s merits, however, there were also pitfalls like the return of nativist groups. Namely, the Ku Klux Klan sought to eliminate any emerging groups whether it was African-Americans, Jews, or Christians. Taking inspiration from D.W. Griffin’s controversial 1916 film Birth of a Nation, the KKK set its course to enforce discriminatory policies over the following decades.

In a progressive society like the United States, looking to the past is common, to learn from our mistakes but some undeniable issues of the past repeat and are omitted from our society because of their unpleasant nature, a great example of this is the Jim-Crow Era. In this paper, I will be discussing the main events of the Jim-Crow era, its initiation, the new style of slavery in the south, and the way it re-shaped the lives of African Americans all across the country, its re-enforcement in the beginning of the twentieth century, its major supporters, like the Ku Klux Klan. Confederate state leaders, and its major oppositions like the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, and the idea of the United States setting a global example of

In the South, after the freeing of the slaves, many black hate groups formed such as the Ku Klux Klan. Formed by ex-Confederate general Nathaniel Bedford Forrest, the KKK was a white supremacist and anti-black group that were themed as the ghosts of the Confederacy. They burned down black owned buildings, murdered and threatened freedmen, and prevented black people from voting. Even though the slaves were freed, Southern whites still believed they were inferior and that they belong only as slaves in society. South Carolina senator Ben Tillman, a notorious racist, wrote a speech defending the Jim Crow Laws, which segregated white and black people legally. He believed that all blacks were savages and not simply white men with dark skin. And, he believed that slavery was beneficial to the blacks and civilized them (Document 3). This demonstrates that racism wasn’t just present with the working class whites who competed against blacks but was more importantly present in Congress and the government officials of the state. Racism against blacks took all forms and was exhibited by most Southern whites. This blatant racism also paid a toll on the black people of the South. A southern Black woman reflected on the effects of the Jim Crow Laws on her. She discusses how she is viewed as less than even a white prostitute and can only buy houses that are designated for

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

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.

In the south, opposition ruled. With Northern interference and the crave for racial dominance, the South made it difficult for the North to forgive and forget. Growing terrorism struck fear into African Americans, causing those who just earned the right to vote to not participate. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the White League kept the spirit of racism alive. In the primary source “Reconstruction Violence and the Ku Klux Klan Hearings,” the testimonies give a clear depiction of what these extremists wanted and how they got it.

Members of both parties, in the Ku Klux Klan and the anti-war protests of the 1960s rebelled because they felt that they were the victims of social change and political oppression. The KKK first emerged after the South’s defeat in the Civil War and emerged rejuvenated for the third time following the civil rights

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 United States has a long, troubled history of slavery and racism within its culture. It is an unfortunate part of our history that we continue to see to this day. The Argument of D. T. Corbin in the Trial of the Ku-Klux before the States Circuit Court is a closing argument to the jury from David T. Corbin. Corbin was a very respected and qualified individual at this time. He would go on to win the Senate election a few years after this document was created. The trial was for the Ku-Klux Klan and whether or not their beliefs and actions were legal. Corbin was strongly against the klan and made sure people knew it. The events that took place in the trial of the Ku-Klux Klan, held in Columbia, South Carolina, happened in a tumultuous time period in United States history. The hearing took place in November of 1871, which was six years after the end of the Civil War. As many people know, the Civil War was fought largely due to the role of slavery in the United States. The southern states, the Confederacy, were pro-slavery, and the north, the Union, was against it. Racism was a major issue at the time. African-Americans had little to no rights before the war, and after the war Congress amended the constitution to give more rights to the African-Americans in this country to much disgust of the southern states. In this document Corbin portrays the KKK in a negative manner by calling on witnesses who were a part of the klan, calls witnesses who were victims, and brings up

North Carolina should have been the state where the KKK thrived most during the mid-1960s — Cunningham reports that in mid-1966 it had 192 Klaverns, (branches of the Ku Klux Klan), and 52.2 percent of the total Klan membership in the 10 states of the South — was a mystery to many and a source of considerable dismay to the state’s leadership, which prided itself on its nonviolent response to the challenges posed by the civil rights movement. The state had been described by V.O. Key, in his immensely influential (if now somewhat dated) “Southern Politics in State and Nation” (1949), as “energetic and ambitious” with “a reputation for progressive outlook and action in many phases of life, especially industrial development, education, and race relations,” a judgment that had been confirmed by the election in 1960 of a notably capable and progressive governor, Terry Sanford.

Despite nearly one hundred years passing since the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Southern States were still faced with the most distinct forms of racism. The so-called “Jim Crow” laws that were present in United States at the time, served to segregate blacks and whites from all aspects of public life, including schools, public transport and juries. Often faced with extreme right-wing terrorist groups such as the white supremacist Klu Klux Klan, many among the African American community chose to live in a society of oppression that to actively campaign for equal rights for all humans regardless of the colour of their skin. It wasn’t until the 1950’s and 60’s that the people attempted to challenge the established order by engaging in influential protest movements with the help of key activist groups and their leaders. In particular, one key example of a powerful protest campaign was that which occurred in 1965 in Selma, a small town in Alabama. Here, the African American community united in an effort to ensure that all citizens were equal before the law in regards to their ability to register to vote. Their work in banding together and marching from Selma to the state capital Montgomery, was vastly important to both the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, as well as the assurance of the Black vote within the United States. Consequently, this essay seeks to emphasize just how influential this act of protest was to the movement as a whole, whilst analysing the