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The KKK is a very controversial organization; it has existed since the civil war. The Klan was first started in 1866 as a social group for war veterans. After this many of the members began to abuse the Klan and used it to terrorize many former slaves. Many people one being General Nathan Bedford Forest who took over the Klan in 1867 as a kind of secret army to oppose the unionists influenced this.
The Klan tried to provide people of the south with the leadership to bring back the values of the western civilization. Also at this time the Klan was given a new named after the word kudos meaning, circle. The Klan would go on midnight rides were the men would dress up in white robes, white mask, and cover there horses in white sheets. The men would use strange language and commands as terror tactics, as this was not enough they would also whip and lynch many people. The Klansmen regarded the reconstruction governments as hostile and oppressive.
They also believed in the innate inferiority of blacks and therefore mistrusted and resented the rise of former slaves to a status of civil equality and to positions of political power. Even today their goals are on a severe political level stated, "We must take back control of our U. S. government.
We intend to put Klansmen and Klansmen in office all the way from the local school board to the White House. " This current statement of goals dated 1 / 9 / 00 shows the involvement to change the social-racial ways of the U. S. The Klan has been divided into to groups the first and second, first Klan (1868 - 1870), around the time of the start of the Klan. While the federal occupation troops were being withdrawn from the southern states and confederate leaders was replaced with democratic administrations, the Klan was overwhelmed by the rougher elements in the population. The local organizations became uncontrollable and violent that the grand wizard, Nathan B. Forester officially disbanded the Klan in 1869.
Klaverns [Local Organizations] however continued to operate on their own. A secret convention of Klansmen, held in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1867, adopted a declaration of principles expressing the loyalty to the U. S. Constitution and it's government and declaring the devotion to the brotherly Klan " To protect the weak, the innocent and the defenseless... to relieve the injured and oppressed; and to succor the suffering... " In 1871 Congress passed the force Bill to implement the 14 th amendment to the U. S.
constitution guaranteeing the rights of all citizen. In the same year Ulysses S. Grant issued a proclamation calling on members of illegal organizations to disarm and disband; thereafter hundreds of Klansmen were arrested. The remaining Klaverns gradually faded as the political and social subordination of blacks were reestablished. William J.
Simon, an ex-minister and promoter of fraternal orders, founded the second Ku Klux Klan in 1915. The Ku Klux Klan was reborn and spread hate across the United States. The Klan started small, but gained millions of members in just a few short years. The Klan preached its beliefs to all Americans and urged everyone to join for the good of their country. Membership to this Klan was open to native-born white, protestant males 16 years of age and older; blacks, Roman Catholics, and Jews were excluded and were made targets of persecution by the Ku Klux Klan. The economical state had little influence until the 1920 s when this period of downfall and post war sent more people to look at the KKK.
The Klan expanded and became active in urban areas and many states including Colorado, Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. (Encarta Encyclopedia) Though there was also KKK Activities in this state of Michigan. There was about 70, 000 Klan members in which about half of them were located in the over developing city of Detroit. At this time it was standard for the Klansmen to burn crosses on hillsides and close to the homes of those they wish to frighten. Masked Klansmen often marched through the streets of many communities.
They threatened various people to leave town or be subjected to punishment. Many People where flogged, kidnapped, and mutilated by the Klan. After the spread of this behavior it became better known and many journalist wrote articles on it, which lead to a congressional investigation 1921. (Encarta Encyclopedia) For a while this pressured the Klan to changing of their tactics. By 1925 the number of people in the Klan had dramatically exploded the numbers reached 4 million.
This large Klan also became involved in politics more and members held positions in political office. This expansion of the Klan didnt last for very long and by the late 1920 s the Klan started to fall back apart. The start of this could be the conviction for 2 nd degree murder of David C. Stephenson, a major Klan leader. By 1930 the Klan was a back down to 30, 000. (web) Also with this decade came the depression with the lack of money many members couldnt pay their dues. The Klan was almost run to extinction until it joined forces with an organization financed by Nazi Germany.
But with the involvement of the U. S. into World War II the Klan was quick to dissolve. Again Buy 1949 the diehard group had began to pop up again. In 1952 more than 60 Members were convicted on charges of assault and conspiracy to kidnap. (World Book) The U. S.
Supreme court ruling, on May 17, 1954 that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This charged the Klan and they used this to try to recruit. The civil rights movement gained force in the late 1950 s and the Klan continued to offer resistance to civil rights programs and was linked to many violent acts. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Klan grew to 40, 000. (Encarta encyclopedia) The Klan, by the mid 1970 s had gained respectability.
Many Klan leaders ran for public office in the south, and received many votes. At this time there was not just the KKK there was up to fifteen different organizations that were also involved in this ideas. There was a substantial amount of Klan Violence in the late 1970 s. In 1980 a Klan office was opened in Toronto, Canada. (encylopedia. com) At the end of the 80 s the membership of the Klan was thought to about 5000, and in 1989 grand wizard of the Klan, David Duke was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He also tried to run gubernatorial election in 1991. (Encarta Encyclopedia) In the beginning the Klan devoted all of its terror toward the eradication of many groups including Jews, Catholics, African Americans, and all immigrants.
Since then the Klan has also been involve in many things one being part of adopt a high way program. With the development of the KKK there has been many ideas why it has lasted and why it still exists. One such theory is that it is just a natural tendency of man to be loyal to his own people. This could also be related to a person to be loyal to their country or the affects of a post war. Every time that the Klan seemed to gain strength it was after a war.
In the Beginning it was after the civil war, after World War II they rose back up, even after the Vietnamese war they became a lot stronger. The fluctuation of the Ku Klux Klan might be related to the strength of the United States government.
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