The Ku Klux Klan: The Ultimate Act to Restore White Supremacy Blair Holton History 121 Mr. Noel November 28th, 2014

Explanation for the Name The first two words, “Ku” and “Klux” came from the Greek word “kyklos” It means circle Obviously, the third word, “Klan” was used to finish the “k” pattern Shortened to just “KKK” soon after the name was established http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KKK-symbol.jpg

Original Reasons The first meeting in Pulaski, Tennessee was for a social club Dates vary, most say either late 1865 or the summer of 1866 They were southern men against the Republican Party Apparently, the intent of the founding members was not to be violent, but for peaceful restoration of the ways before the Civil War Wanted to restore white supremacy and regain Democratic control

Justifications Called themselves Christians Would twist the words of the bible to fit the crime Often said they were returning things to “the way God wanted them to be” http://www.glogster.com/bigdaddy2211/glogjnfv-jednvf/g-6m2vmubloqqb5lt44l0vra0?old_view=True

Interesting Facts The group had its own language – created many words that would only be used when referring to the KKK Examples: Kloran– official book of Klan rituals Grand Wizard– leader of the entire KKK Den– local group Klansmen– members http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=div&did=WI.KlanEphem.i0004&isize=M

Members The group often included many notable officials Recruited: Political leaders Sheriffs Criminals The first position of Grand Wizard was appointed to, the very popular, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest http://www.nndb.com/people/328/000102022/

Outfits Worn by Klansmen White masks with holes for the eyes High, colonial, cardboard hat Long robes Tried to put an emphasis on who the group thought was superior by using an all white wardrobe http://www.philadelphia-reflections.com/blog/1178.htm

Notable Actions Most took place during the second phase of Restoration Most violent acts happened at night It is estimated that almost 10 percent of black legislators, elected between 1867 and 1868, suffered from cruelty– seven were killed Raided black churches and schools Most of the time, the group mutilated blacks in front of their families

Notable Actions Continued A 103-year-old woman was whipped, as was a completely paralyzed man. In Georgia, Abraham Colby, an organizer and leader in the black community, was whipped for hours in front of his wife and children. In Mississippi, Jack Dupree's throat was cut and he was disemboweled in front of his wife, who had just given birth to twins. http://ncpedia.org/violence-group

Retaliations to the Klan In North and South Carolina, citizens fought and threatened Klansmen In Texas over 6,000 arrest were made by a state police unit organized by Governor Edmund Davis In Tennessee and Arkansas, Republican officials created another police unit that not only arrested, but also made executions of Klansmen Between late 1868 to late 1869, almost sixty cases were tried against members of the group, and half of them were convicted

The Ku Klux Klan Act Passed by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1871 Also called the “Civil Rights Act of 1871” Gave the President the right to “suspend the writ of habeas corpus in cases of secret conspiracy.” The president can throw away the right to go before a judge or court when arrested if they were accused for a Klan-like crime http://mowryjournal.com/2013/03/31/portraits-ulysses-s-grant/

The End of the First Klan The KKK only continued for almost a year after the Civil Rights Act of 1871 was passed The Klan was actually announced to be ending around March 1869, but small dens existed until 1872 Lasted only around 5 years http://americanhistory.unomaha.edu/module_display.php?mod_id=176&review=yes

The KKK After the 1870s The second Ku Klux Klan formed in 1915 The third Klan arose in the 1960s The third group is believed to still exist today The KKK later targeted Jews, immigrants, gays and lesbians, and even Catholics http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/03/ku_klux_klan_in_decline_why_did_the_kkk_lose_so_many_chapters_in_2010_.html

Overview The KKK majorly impacted post Civil War life, not only for blacks, but also for whites The dens used violence, intimidation, and political aspects to achieve their goals of white supremacy Ultimately, the Klan did reach their goal the Democrats gained control by 1876 blacks lost their rights the white extremists only had to sacrifice one thing— slavery

Works Cited "The Civil War and Emancipation." PBS. Accessed November 19, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2967.html. Fisher, Michael. "The Ku Klux Klan." Touchstone. 2003. Accessed November 19, 2014. http://home.wlu.edu/~lubint/touchstone/KKK-Fisher.htm. "Ku Klux Klan -- Extremism in America." Anti-Defamation League. Accessed November 19, 2014. http://archive.adl.org/learn/ext_us/kkk/default.html. "Ku Klux Klan." History.com. 2009. Accessed November 19, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan. "Ku Klux Klan." Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed November 18, 2014. http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/ku-klux- klan. Long, Christopher. "Ku Klux Klan." Handbook of Texas Online. Last modified on August 20, 2013. Wormser, Richard. "The Ku Klux Klan (1866)." PBS. 2002. Accessed November 18, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_kkk.html.