The first Ku Klux Klan society was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee in May of 1866 and soon expanded to Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and many other states by April of 1867. The highest rank—Grand Wizard—was first granted to Nathan Bedford Forrest, a famed Confederate Cavalry commander. Other ranks of the Ku Klux Klan include Genii, who assist the Grand Wizard, the Grand Dragon of the Realm who is assisted by Furies, and the Grand Cyclops of the Den who is assisted by Nighthawks. It is not known how many members exist within the Ku Klux Klan, but the group was widely supported by white people in the Southern states. The goal of the Ku Klux Klan was to prevent the black population from voting; this was the main goal of the Klan because there was a large population of blacks in Southern states, therefore they could sway voting in those states easily. The Klan’s objectives soon expanded from limiting black civil rights to attacking the black economy—because of this, black businessmen with success of any kind were often targets of the Klan, as well as any black person who attempted to form any sort of union to advance the black economy.
In 1870, Congressional Republicans tried to control Klan violence when they saw it was undermining Reconstruction; they were also concerned because the majority of blacks voted republican, and the Klan was jeopardizing their voting population. Because of this, an investigation was launched, and a grand jury reported that, “The Klan is inflicting summary vengeance on the colored citizens by breaking into their houses at the dead of night, dragging them from their beds, torturing them in the most inhumane manner, and in many instances murdering them.” The following year, Congress passed the Force Bill—also known as the Ku Klux Act—which was designed to enforce the 14th Amendment, and gave the President power to intervene in Southern states affected by Klan Violence. In October of 1871 President Grant issued a Presidential Proclamation, which ordered illegal organizations—the Ku Klux Klan—to disarm and disband. This Proclamation was followed by the federal arrest of hundreds of suspected Klansman, and Klan violence subsided. However, by this point the Klan had achieved white supremacist governments in many Southern states, therefore black voting and civil rights were suppressed.
The Ku Klux Klan was the largest and most successful white supremacist group during Reconstruction. The Klan was able to gain support from white supremacists in the South and gain control of the high positions in those states so the black population would be overpowered, despite the fact that they had a larger population in the Southern states. Although they did disband shortly after the Presidential Proclamation, the Klan eventually resurfaced and resumed violent acts against black families, burning crosses in their yards and terrorizing the black population in Southern states. The Klan is still in place today, although the extent to which they commit acts against blacks has subsided substantially. However, blacks in the Southern part of the United States were subjected to terror every single day because of the Ku Klux Klan, and the development of the group pushed Reconstruction backward. Blacks were free from slavery, but not from discrimination, and this is clear in the way the Ku Klux Klan terrorized the black community.
KU KLUX KLAN 1865
Sara Rosenberg
The first Ku Klux Klan society was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee in May of 1866 and soon expanded to Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and many other states by April of 1867. The highest rank—Grand Wizard—was first granted to Nathan Bedford Forrest, a famed Confederate Cavalry commander. Other ranks of the Ku Klux Klan include Genii, who assist the Grand Wizard, the Grand Dragon of the Realm who is assisted by Furies, and the Grand Cyclops of the Den who is assisted by Nighthawks. It is not known how many members exist within the Ku Klux Klan, but the group was widely supported by white people in the Southern states. The goal of the Ku Klux Klan was to prevent the black population from voting; this was the main goal of the Klan because there was a large population of blacks in Southern states, therefore they could sway voting in those states easily. The Klan’s objectives soon expanded from limiting black civil rights to attacking the black economy—because of this, black businessmen with success of any kind were often targets of the Klan, as well as any black person who attempted to form any sort of union to advance the black economy.
In 1870, Congressional Republicans tried to control Klan violence when they saw it was undermining Reconstruction; they were also concerned because the majority of blacks voted republican, and the Klan was jeopardizing their voting population. Because of this, an investigation was launched, and a grand jury reported that, “The Klan is inflicting summary vengeance on the colored citizens by breaking into their houses at the dead of night, dragging them from their beds, torturing them in the most inhumane manner, and in many instances murdering them.” The following year, Congress passed the Force Bill—also known as the Ku Klux Act—which was designed to enforce the 14th Amendment, and gave the President power to intervene in Southern states affected by Klan Violence. In October of 1871 President Grant issued a Presidential Proclamation, which ordered illegal organizations—the Ku Klux Klan—to disarm and disband. This Proclamation was followed by the federal arrest of hundreds of suspected Klansman, and Klan violence subsided. However, by this point the Klan had achieved white supremacist governments in many Southern states, therefore black voting and civil rights were suppressed.
The Ku Klux Klan was the largest and most successful white supremacist group during Reconstruction. The Klan was able to gain support from white supremacists in the South and gain control of the high positions in those states so the black population would be overpowered, despite the fact that they had a larger population in the Southern states. Although they did disband shortly after the Presidential Proclamation, the Klan eventually resurfaced and resumed violent acts against black families, burning crosses in their yards and terrorizing the black population in Southern states. The Klan is still in place today, although the extent to which they commit acts against blacks has subsided substantially. However, blacks in the Southern part of the United States were subjected to terror every single day because of the Ku Klux Klan, and the development of the group pushed Reconstruction backward. Blacks were free from slavery, but not from discrimination, and this is clear in the way the Ku Klux Klan terrorized the black community.
Primary Source—example of an incident that occurred: http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/31/nyregion/cross-burned-by-ku-klux-klan-at-rally-on-connecticut-farm.html
Secondary Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/grant-kkk/
Cross Burning: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00795/ku-klux-klan_795316c.jpg
Members of the Ku Klux Klan: http://floridamemory.com/fpc/redkerce/rk0249.jpg
KKK Symbol: http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww299/joepeoples77/KKK-symbol.jpg