US History KKK Notes
revival of the KKK
-After WWI KKK came back with political popularity -October 1915 was the first cross burning -KKK has always been around but is stronger in different time periods because of economy shifts, historical setting, and social tolerance -mid 1920's was the height of the Klan with about 4 million members (936-939)
Begin of the racist organization
-After the Civil War the KKK was changed into a radical racist organization -most Southerners did not want blacks to gain new opportunities, civil rights, or political equality(936-939)
Spread of KKK
-Branches of the KKK spread out of the south into neighboring states -Leadership stayed in South -hard to communicate from the centralized power(south) with other areas of the Klan -lack of communication lead to the KKK's downfall -40,000 members in Tennessee and 550,000 in the south
Second fall of KKK
-KKK grew too large (with the crimes, violence, and hooliganism) -Jail time, corruption, and violence drove others away from the Klan -Klan dropped to about 1 million nationwide -Klan will never reach such a large success like they did again(936-939)
KKK groups
-KKK is spread into hundreds of different independent groups -Recruitment is done by sending out mass amounts of mailings, leaflets, and the internet -activities include public rallies and protests
Hate groups
-Many hate groups were made to defend the whites American way of life -KKK was a secret army of hooded terrorists battling for white supremacy(936-939)
goals of the Klan
-One of the goals is for racial separation (NOT VIOLENCE) -Stop the U.S. Government because they did not support "White Rights" which was the right to be separated from nonwhites (website) -Government is "mingling" with blacks and others to trample individual rights
Intentions when KKK was found
-Originally was only suppose to wear costumes and ride around at night with fraternal rituals but quickly became a part in the politics of the Reconstruction era (123-126) -had fun by making mischief and playing pranks at night -wore bedsheets (963-969)
Start of Ku Klux Klan
-Started in the spring of 1866 -Founded by a group of Confederate war veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee(123-126)
Use of bible
-The KKK used texts from the bible to give reason to hating these groups of people -the groups were blacks, Jews, homosexuals, abortion providers and communists -The explanation for being able to do hate crimes against these people was that the KKK were descendants of Abel, who is Adam's son, so they were the chosen people -Jews were thought to be descendants of Cain, nonwhites are subhuman (nonwhites are referred as "mud races") (website)
Fall of KKK
-The success of the KKK lead to congress declaring night riding a crime -There was a downfall that was caused by -Many Klansmen were jailed in 1870's -investigations of the klan -lack of control in the klan -Klan ideas still stayed around in the South(936-939)
Origins of KKK
-beliefs stemed from the ideology of the Christian Identity Movement (CIM) -KKK is the largest CIM movement -KKK and CIM believe that the end of the world is brought with the second coming of christ, so the world needs a "cleansing process" before the second coming (Jews and nonwhites) -thought they were chosen to battle in the Armageddon
New victims
-during "anti-immigrant feelings, anti-Asian legislation, growing racism, and racial riots" the KKK's new targets were Catholics, Jews, most immigrants, and labor unions -The popularity of the klan was very high at the time because of these feelings against others -August 1925, about 40,000 hooded Klan members marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. (936-939)
Violence by the KKK
-night riding was most common act they did -Klan attacked mainly Republican party, U.S. Army or state militia officers, integrationist white schoolteachers, and blacks who registered to vote or attended schools (936-939)
Organization and Leaders of KKK
-was stated as an organization at a "convention of delegates from southern states at Nashville." -Nathan Bedford Forrest was chosen to be the first leader, or Imperial Wizard
bib
Finkelman, Paul., "Ku Klux Klan" Encyclopedia of African American History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 123-126. Print. Williams, Michael W., "Ku Klux Klan" The African American Encyclopedia. New York: Marshall Cavendish Organization, 1993. 936-939. Print. MacLean, Nancy. Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994); Ridgeway, James. Blood in the Face: The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads and the Rise of a New White Culture (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1995). L. A. B. http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/ku-klux-klan
different names for the kkk
exalted cyclops Genii: The collective name for the national officers. Also known as the Kloncilium, or the advisory board to the Imperial Wizard. Hydras: The Real officers, with the exception of the Grand Dragon. Imperial Giant: Former Imperial Wizard. Imperial Wizard: The overall, or national, head of a Klan, which it sometimes compares to the president of the United States.
