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Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction Kati (I dont know your last name) 30. 07. 2008 (note: the green highlights is when Word thinks of sentence being too long, but its just Words opinion) Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction Introduction Nowadays, the white hooded riders of Ku Klux Klan are being discussed within a context of social implications of an irrational hatred. The very name of this organization is being strongly linked by mainstream Medias to racial bigotry, lack of education and to existential intolerance, in general. The countless books have been written of the subject of Klansmen's crimes, in which authors always come to conclusion that the very idea of citizens organizing themselves for the protection of their civil rights is evil in its essence. However, even many of these books contain information that allows readers to get a better understanding of the nature of White racialist movement, during the era of Reconstruction.
For example, in her book Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan, Nancy McLean defines Klans membership criteria, with which this organization has been marked, ever since its creation in 1865: Most often the men who donned the orders robes and assembled beneath its flaming crosses were, as one contemporary put it, if not the best people - at least the next best... the good, solid middle-class citizens. Not only did the Klan draw from the broad middle of the nations class structure, but it most commonly mobilized support through campaigns waged on the prosaic theme of upholding community moral standards. Thus, we can say that Klansmen's movement did correspond to the objective realities of post-war living in American South. Even though that it had often assumed ugly forms, it was nothing but the immune reaction of citizens who resisted a foreign values being forcibly imposed upon them. In the same way, Nazism, for example, can be best referred to as the immune reaction of Europeans towards the threat of Communism, and the public support of Pinochets takeover in Chilli in seventies - as the natural strive of Chileans to prevent their country from being destroyed by the gang of Marxists on Moscow's payroll.
Many of todays progressive historians suggest that the pre-Liberal history of mankind is almost not even worthy of mentioning, because it is being marked with high intolerance, on the part of the people who were simply lucky enough to live in time before the process of political correct brainwashing became compulsory. In this paper, we will discuss the rise and fall of Ku Klux Klan, during the period of Reconstruction, from traditionalist perspective, because it will allow us to get an insight on what was prompting White Southerners to indulge in anonymous violence against Blacks and those Yankees who initiated the process of this nation loosing its racial integrity, simply because they were concerned more about making profits then about protecting countrys well being. Historical Retrospective The organization of Ku Klux Klan has been founded as social club in 1865, in Pulaski, Tennessee, by four Confederate veterans who were able to realize that protection of traditional values in the South was up to ordinary citizens, since Federal government, during the period of Reconstruction, was considering Southerners as potential traitors and strived to deprive them of their civil rights and of their property, every time circumstances would allow it. Within matter of few years, after its founding, organizations membership grew to as many as 300. 000 men, across the South. The establishment of Freedmen's Bureau in 1866, resulted in the land, which was confiscated from the most ardent supporters of Confederate cause, being distributed among Blacks. Predictably enough, Blacks had run their farms into the ground, within a year, which caused a lot of discontent among Whites, because they viewed Federal policies as such that made absolutely no sense.
However, those who were responsible for causing a social havoc in the South, after the end of Civil War, were too far away to be reached, which is why Whites turned their anger against Blacks, as they were the ones who benefited from Federalist policies the most. The basic activities of Klansmen consisted of riding horses in gangs of 15 - 30, while looking for Blacks, known for their lack of morals, and for those Whites, whom members of Ku Klux Klan considered as traitors, to teach them a lesson. These activities would usually take place after dark, with Klansmen wearing white ropes and hoods over their heads, for the purpose of maintaining anonymous ness and to instil fear into superstitious Blacks, who would often take Klansmen for ghosts. It is estimated that at least 2000 Blacks were being killed in Southern states by members of Ku Klux Klan, before the Presidential elections of 1868. The true cause for these acts of violence was the fact that in 1867, Congress passed a so-called Reconstruction Act, which made provisions for the former slaves to be allowed to vote for state governments. This was being done not because Federal Government was really concerned about establishing social equality, but because it strived to diminish the power of Southern vote, within a context of National elections.
Blacks were thought to be the natural allies of Republicans from the North, which in its turn, resulted in White Southerners beginning to think of former slaves in terms of fifth column. The majority of Whites in Southern states understood perfectly well that the end of White rule would automatically result in worsening of social and economic situation. Therefore, they strived to discourage Blacks from participation in elections, with whatever the means they had to resort to. Klansmen always insisted that they were not driven by momentary political considerations, but by their willingness to promote the concept of White unity. In his book Many Faces of Judge Lynch: Extralegal Violence and Punishment in America, Christopher Waldrep is making a good point when he suggests that Klansmen were being driven by essentially an idealistic considerations: The success the Klan had at winning over white Southerners mattered a great deal. A major part of the Klans appeal came from its claims to White unity.
It vigorously denied that politics had anything to do with its violence because politics implied division, a splintered and uncertain White community. When the Klan claimed to target people who were a curse to the community, they did not mean a community rent by division. Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration, on our part, to suggest that, during the Reconstruction era, the activities of Ku Klux Klan were not much different from the activities of those who participated in national liberation movements of 20 th century. As history shows, resorting to violence is often only the way to achieve political goals, on the part of a popular movement that promotes the interests of a large group of people, united by common cultural and racial heritage. Moreover, as practice shows, the government only has a chance of effectively dealing with national-liberation movement, if it utilizes its army, in order to suppress it. This was exactly what Federal Government decided to do, once it realized that the existence of Ku Klux Klan threatens the very foundations, upon which social consensus in late 19 th century America was based.
In 1869, Federal Grand Jury declared Ku Klux Klan being a terrorist organization. In 1871, U. S. Congress passed a so-called Ku Klux Klan Act, which called upon U. S. Army to suppress White racialist movement in the South.
The known Klansmen were being trailed and given lengthy sentences in jail. This signified the decline of Ku Klux Klan as organization, before it was being revived again in early 20 th century. Religious Values From the time of its founding, organizations members used to refer to themselves as Traditional Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which implies that no person could ever join a Klan, without professing its faith in Jesus Christ, as God. At the same time, it is a well-known fact that Klansmen's religious views are being referred to as somewhat eccentric by those who do not know much about the historical context of Christianity.
The doctrine of Protestantism lies at the core of Klans religious spirituality. It were White Protestants who turned America into the heaven on Earth, before the hordes of immigrants started to arrive to this country in big numbers, in order to exploit it. Many people do not understand how individuals racial affiliation can correspond to his or her religious views. In this part of the paper, we will provide readers with the insight on the very essence of Klansmen's religious spirituality. After Martin Luther had denounced Catholicism as abomination of Christianity and had translated Bible into a secular German language, the Protestantism, as religion that promotes the notion that there are chosen people and those who are being disfavour ed by God, started to gain popularity in European countries, where populations were the least affected by racial mixing Britain, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. This coincided with the beginning of era of exploration.
No matter where White explorers would go (with probable exception of China and Japan), they would always end up realising that the newly discovered lands were being populated by primitive savages, who could even be referred to as people, in full sense of this word. The physical and mental inferiority of these savages was just too obvious to be ignored. In its turn, this prompted White Protestants to begin referring to Bible, as such as contains an answer as to why some people were able to build and to maintain civilization, whereas others were not even able to evolve beyond a Stone Age. The Catholics could not have possibly done it, because Catholic clergy always strived to discourage people from studying Bible on its own and considered attempts to translate Bible into secular languages as the major sin. Thus, once Protestants began to study Bible, they realized that the holy book endorses the notion of chosen people, who are supposed to rule over other worlds nations. In fact, Bible contains explicit instructions as to what needs to be done to those who refuse to recognise chosen people as their masters: Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword (Deuteronomy
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