Kkk In The 1920S Essay, Research Paper
The Ku Klux Klan, is a secret terrorist organisation that
originated in the southern provinces during the period of
Reconstruction following the American Civil War and was
reactivated on a wider geographic footing in the twentieth century. The
original Klan was organized in Pulaski, Tennessee, during the
winter of 1865 to 1866, by six former Confederate ground forces officers
who gave their society a name adapted from the Grecian word kuklos
( & # 8221 ; circle & # 8221 ; ) . Although the Ku Klux Klan began as a arch societal
organisation, its activities shortly were directed against the
Republican Reconstruction authoritiess and their leaders, both
black and white, which came to power in the southern provinces in
1867.
The Ku Klux Klan & # 8217 ; s long history of force grew out of the
bitterness and hatred many white Southerners felt in the
wake of the Civil War. Blacks, holding won the battle for
freedom from bondage, were now faced with a new battle against
widespread racism and the terrorist act brought approximately by the Ku Klux
Klan. While the threat of the KKK has peaked and waned over the
old ages, it has ne’er vanished.
William J. Simmons, a veteran, sermonizer and salesman, was a
compulsive joiner, keeping ranks in many different
societies and two churches. He had ever dreamed of get downing his
ain fraternal group and in the autumn of 1915 he put his programs into
action. On Thanksgiving Eve, Simmons herded 15 chap
fraternalists onto a coach and drove them from Atlanta to nearby
Stone Mountain. There, before a cross of pine boards, Simmons lit
a lucifer and the Ku Klux Klan of the twentieth century was born.
In 1920, the & # 8220 ; re-born & # 8221 ; Klan consisted merely of a few 1000
members. With the aid of two publicizers, Simmons spread the
word of the Klan around the U.S. like wildfire. The Klan was to
be pro-American, which to them intend anti-black, anti-Jewish and
most
significantly, anti-Catholic. The Klan grew quickly from a
few thousand members to 1000000s of Klansmen. Now that the Klan
was turning they made it really clear that their hate was to be
directed towards Asians, immigrants, moonshiners, pot, transplant,
dark nines and route houses, misdemeanor of the Sabbath, sex, pre-
and extra-marital adventures and disgraceful behaviour.
The Ku Klux Klan was ill-famed for their violent, racialist, and
immoral Acts of the Apostless of pure hatred towards & # 8220 ; impure & # 8221 ; Americans. Lynching
was non an uncommon rite for the Klan. Klansmen would frequently
interruption into the places of African American and nobble them. They
so would flog them repeatedly while they would intone phrases
exhulting white domination. After brutally floging their victim
they would hang them and go forth them for others to see. They
wanted to set fright into the Black Marias of their enemies. Between
1918 and 1927, there were no fewer than 417 lynchings of inkinesss.
Surprisingly, the Klan was most outstanding in the Midwest,
instead than the South. The Imperial Wizard ( highest ranking
Klansman ) Hiram Evans, a tooth doctor, said that they were proud of
being & # 8220 ; yokels, and yokels and drivers of 2nd manus fords. & # 8221 ;
However the more respectable members abandoned the Klan when
national organiser David Stephenson of Indiana was convicted of
sadistic sexual slaying and exposed the Klan & # 8217 ; s corruptnesss to the
governments.
In the mid-1920s, inept and exploitative leading, internal
struggle, and alleged Klan immorality and force severely damaged
the Klan & # 8217 ; s repute, thereby doing increased political
resistance. By 1929 the Klan had been reduced to several thousand
members. Today the Ku Klux Klan is still active. Fortunately
the Klan & # 8217 ; s population is still instead low and really scattered
across the United States. However, every bit long as there are seeds of
hatred the world of the K.K.K. will stay an immorality within our
society.