Research Paper On The Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan, known as the KKK, has been one of the most feared groups in America since the end of the civil war during post-war reconstruction.. The civil war was not just about the rights of the black man, but it was a very important part. People in the north mostly believed the black person was due the same liberties insured by the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment of the constitution gave equal protection to former slaves. However people in the south saw the black man as inferior and a slave needed to work on the plantation. This led to continued unrest after the war. Some felt the black man and those that supported his cause needed to be stopped. They wanted to control the black population. The Klan also would torture white people who were sympathetic to the blacks and their situation.

The Ku Klux Klan flourished in the South at the beginning of the Reconstruction succeeding the Civil War. There remained numerous ex-Confederates that were still strongly opposed to the Reconstruction and sought to preserve white supremacy in the South. Directly after the Civil War the government in the South was weak and vulnerable. The Ku Klux Klan leveraged this and used violence and threats to try to reestablish white supremacy. They were most successful in playing upon fears and superstitions. They not only brought terror to the black communities but they also targeted carpetbaggers and scalawags. They used these threats and fears in effectively keeping the blacks away from the polls so that the ex-Confederates could gain back political control in the

The Ku Klux Klan was a secret terrorist organization that was created by six well educated Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee in the December of 1865. Their main objective was to restore white supremacy through acts of violence such as murder, against both Black and White Republicans. The KKK had eventually spread to every southern state, and Klansmen would often terrorize republicans regardless of their race. Members of the KKK believed that African Americans were inferior to Whites and did not believe that Blacks deserved equal rights. Although the rebel groups were outlawed and made illegal, many of them remained in existence and appeared after the reconstruction had ended. This proved the Reconstruction to be ineffective as many Southerners were still fighting against the government and opposed them. In addition, African Americans were still deprived of their rights by these

Forever. 170). The Klan were white southerners who were organized and committed to the breaking down of Reconstruction. By methods of brutality, “the Klan during Reconstruction offers the most extensive example of homegrown terrorism in American history” (Foner. Forever. 171). The Ku Klux Klan as well as other groups killed or tormented black politicians or threatened the blacks who voted in elections. The Klan strongly disagreed with the northern idea that slaves should become part of the government. The Historian Kenneth M. Stampp states, “for their [the North] supreme offense was not corruption but attempting to organize the Negroes for political action” (Stampp. Era. 159). This corresponds with Foner’s idea that the South was not open to the idea of change but more so consumed with the idea of recreating a society similar to one of the past. However, the goal of white power groups was not just politics. The Klan wanted to restore the hierarchy once controlling the South. Foner observes that, “the organization took on the function of the antebellum slave patrols: making sure that blacks did not violate the rules and etiquette of white supremacy” (Foner. Forever. 172). Like the power the southern whites formerly held over the slave population, the Ku Klux Klan wanted to control the African American population still living in the South. They did not want the freedmen to become integrated into their society because they saw them as lesser people. By suppressing and

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 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 Ku Klux Klan is a gang with a notorious past. The clan started off as a group of people defying the southern state’s laws, but it turned out to be one of the most terrifying gangs of the nineteenth century. It all started during the election of Ulysses S. Grant, when most of the democrats in the south created groups to terrify the African Americans. It was a violent gesture to any of the minorities who wanted to gain political attention. They banded together in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1865, consisting of former confederate soldiers. They soon began to weaken the blacks and republican political power. It fueled hatred and riots throughout Tennessee, as members of law enforcement often joined in with the gang. All whites from the southern states joined the Klan as an attempt to intimidate the blacks (Herb Peek 2013). As an effort to intimidate the newly freed blacks they burned school houses and whipped teachers. The KKK wanted to get rid of the republican leverage in the southern states. They murdered and terrorized party leaders and all those who voted (Herb Peek 2013). It created an atmosphere that helped gain new recruitment for the Ku Klux Klan. What made this particular group such a threat? What is the history behind this group? Do they still intimidate the south?

The Ku Klux Klan initially started as a, “loosely organized group of political and social terrorists” (NGE) they started out by going after Republican leaders who opposed their belief of an all-white nation. The group started in Tennessee in 1866, and was formed by former Confederate soldiers. In 1868 it became evident that the group was terrorizing the freed slaves, “It is clear that attacks on blacks became common during 1868. Freedmen's Bureau agents reported 336 cases of murder or assault with intent to kill on freedmen across the state from January 1 through November 15 of 1868.” (NGE) The Ku Klux Klan was not happy the state passed the Fifteenth Amendment which let the freedmen vote, so it was not long until the clan made a stand against that. During the 1868 elections the (KKK) surrounded the poll buildings forcing the state to send federal soldiers to guard the polls. The (KKK) also tried to control the freedmen’s social lives, “Klanlike violence was also used to control freedpeople's social behavior, but with less success. Black churches and schools were burned, teachers were attacked, and freedpeople who refused to show proper deference were beaten and

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is still residing in America today. Although America has made large steps towards greater racial freedom, a lot of racism and white supremacy still remain in parts of the nation. In the almost 100 year old picture showing Rank and File Radicalism within the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920's, the views and actions taken by the KKK were much different than they are today. But on one sunny Sunday many years ago, members of the Ku Klux Klan dispersed bags of paper candy with handouts telling people to join the KKK and save America as a response to the increased illegal Central American immigrants coming to the U.S. borders. Which raises the question, what is the Ku Klux Klan and what do they believe?

The KKK short for the Klu Klux Klan, was founded in 1866 by ex-confederate soldiers and other people in the south who believed in “White Supremacy” and slavery. It all started after the Civil War when people in the south were still enraged about African American rights and they wanted to have a resistance against African American rights. The founders of the KKK are J. Calvin Jones, John B. Kennedy, James R. Crowe, Frank O. McCord, John C. lester, Richard R. Reed. The Klan believes that any non-caucasian people are inferior and they have no place here in the United States. They also believe that the United states is only for christian caucasians.

The Klu Klux Klan was introduced when the foreign immigrants began moving to America and eventually gained popularity among those who disliked the black population (Clemens 30: 390-398). The Klan had a lot of members after it gained popularity and had a total of 14 million member, whom were all opposed to the blacks as well as anyone who was different from them. In most cases the members of this hateful organization against blacks and others who were different were often noted to be white males (Clemens 30: 450-467). It is said that they lynched around 200 blacks and that they are still a group even in today’s society (Clemens 30:

The Ku Klux Klan is a local conceived American bigot terrorist association that exterminated Republican Reconstruction governments in the South after the Civil War. The organization’s goal was also exclude Black people from legislative issues. Participation became gradually amid World War I, yet after 1920, filled by after war despair and smart dignifying approaches, the Klan expanded rapidly. It resuscitated in the 1920s as a social dormitory and quickly transformed the political force of the nation.

The Ku Klux Klan was created originally as a social club for former Confederate soldiers. It then turned into a terrorist organization. It was also known to be founded as a social club. When the Ku Klux Klan was very first created, they designated certain crimes to certain things that happen and to certain people. This authorized the president to suspend and arrest, accused individuals without charge. Although African Americans were the main target for the Ku Klux Klan, they also attacked Jews, gay, lesbians, immigrants, and until recently, Catholics. The Klan has typically thought of themselves as a Christian organization. Although they now think of themselves differently, though they do not specify what they think of themselves as. The

The Ku Klux Klan’s origin and reasoning is what influenced the motives for their actions. Susan Campbell Bartoletti, the author of “They Called Themselves the KKK” said that people sometimes believed that if black men had freedom, then white women were not safe. They wanted “100 percent pure Americanism” and “moral, intellectual, and physical superiority of whites.” (“White Supremacy’) In May of 1866, the Klan was put together in Pulaksi by a group of young veterans. The group focused on Radical Reconstruction and relied upon Southern Whites. (Moore, “Ku Klux Klan”) Klan members believed a conspiracy that blacks and Jews were trying to eliminate whites, so in response to that, they wanted to keep the nation as a white Christian country. (“White Supremacy”) The background and origin of the KKK was and is very important to their role in history.

The Ku Klux Klan had virtually disappeared for the last part of the 19th century, so the widespread and violent resurgence of the movement took many by surprise. In its earlier incarnation, it had been only