The Growth of the KKK during the 1920s

how many members did it have in 1920

100,000

founded

1866, during the civil war

how many members did it have in 1925

5 million

what was the name of the leader of each state

Grand Dragon

kkk def

Ku Klux Klan. noun. The definition of Ku Klux Klan is a secret society in the southern U.S. that focuses on white supremacy and terrorizes other groups. An example of the Ku Klux Klan is a group of men who are anti-black, anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic.

who were the only people able to join the clan

WASPS

what was it

a racist organisation that aimed to terrorise black Americans in the southern states who had just been freed from slavery

what did they carry and burn

carried american flag, burnt crosses during their night time meetings

what did they do

carried out lynchings, floggings, brandings, mutilation, tar ad feathering, kidnappings, boycotts on anti-Klan shops, terrorised non WASPs

what caused Klan membership to rise sharply in the early 1920s

concerns over immigration, the Red Scare

after a period of decline when and how was the movement revived

in 1915, by William J Simmons following the release of the film Birth of the Nation, which showed Klan members saving whites from blacks

what was the name of the head of the Klan and who was he

the Imperial Wizard Hiram Wesley

why werent Klan members brought to justice

they had friends in high places, eg as judges who they knew wouldnt convict them many politicians resisted speaking out for fear of losing white votes federal gvt found it hard to change the long held views of white supremacy in the South

what did clan members believe

thought they were superior to other races, anti-black/jew/communist/foreigners

what did they wear and what did it symbolise

white robes and hoods to symbolise white supremacy