Why was the KKK gaining influence in the 1920's?

What is the Ku Klux Klan informally known as?

'The Klan' or 'The Hooded Order'

When did the KKK rise to prominence for a second time?

1920's

What year was the Saloon Fire?

1922

Why did non KKK members join in the violence?

Extreme viciousness such as tarring, branding, and even murder gave these Americans the sense of power and importance that they craved, by adding a sense of purpose to their monotonous lifestyle. Indeed, it would seem that there is a direct link between the violent methods of the Ku Klux Klan and the fear of the future and a sense of belonging by those who felt their livelihoods were being threatened by immigration.

Who was thee Imperial Wizard of the Klan?

Hiram Evans

Why was violence so high in the South?

Klan members were involved in much of the racial violence that spread throughout the South, and the fanatic Klan rhetoric inspired non-Klan members to participate in the campaign of terror

What did the KKK do to freedom riders?

Mob them in planned attacks

What are some examples of the KKK's extremely violent methods of torture used to run bootleggers out of town?

Tarring and feathering

Why did the Klan appeal to those who were afraid of the future?

The Klan appealed to those who lacked confidence because from the outside, the organization looked powerful, strong and united - however, many of the members who had joined because of a fear of the future didn't fully understand the changes that they were afraid of, only allowing themselves to look to the past and not at the prospect of positive changes or progression

What did Hiram Evans say in a speech?

The Klan was made up of people who supported 'Nordic races which had given the world its civilization'.

When did the KKK first come to prominence?

The late 1860's in the year following the Civil War where they terrorized African Americans to stop them taking part in political processes, this is where their infamous conical hats and white costumes were introduced)

What was 'the past' that the KKK referred to?

The past that these people referred back to was a time when their white 'ancestors' settled in American and civilized the USA - they felt it was their duty to protect the white heritage of America,

Despite campaigns to stop the Klan's violence, why did it continue?

The sense of evoking terror appealed to the bullying and sadistic instincts of those Americans who were not only concerned about protecting their livelihoods, (many farmers and shopkeepers were afraid that African American immigrants were going to take their work from them) but also terrified to a greater significance- whilst the enemies feared the violence of the KKK, these people feared that they would be perceived as weak if they did not belong

What happened to Civil Rights leaders?

They had their homes and churches destroyed

What kind of organisation is the KK and how many strands of the KKK have there been?

Three distinct past and present far right organisations in the USA which advocate extremist beliefs such as white nationalism, white supremacy, anti Catholicism, anti-antisemitism, and since the mid 20th century, anti communism

What was 'Bloody Williamson'

a county in far southern Illinois, where battles between the operators of wide-open taverns and the 'dry' Ku Klux Klan killed 14 people in 1924-25.

Who were the freedom riders?

blacks and whites who rode buses throughout the South to protest racial inequities

How did the KKK continue to challenge Bootleggers?

organizing armed patrols to intercept shipments of alcohol, one of their major activities in the 1920s was rooting out bootleggers to break up speakeasies

As-well as their reliance on traditional support from white supremacists, their views on Prohibition gained them a wave of new supporters - where were they from?

rural places like Illinois and Arizona.

Who else did the Klan hate apart from non-white people (Prohibition)

the Klan was also hugely opposed to bootleggers, as they felt that they needed to be purged from their ideal of a morally upright society

Who were the foundation members of the KKK?

the farmers, the artisans, the small shopkeepers

What was the Saloon Fire?

when just over two hundred Klan members joined together to torch Saloons that had sprung up in Union Country, Arkansas in the wake of the oil discovery boom.

What was a large proportion of the KKK made up of?

People who were dubious of America's futre

What movement aided the Klan's resurgence in the 1920's?

Prohibition because it represented the single most important bond between Klansmen through the nation