The Rise of the KU KLUX KLAN

First KKK – Set up by former Confederate soldiers opposed to the ‘Reconstruction’ of the South by the victorious Republicans. Opposed to freedmen’s voting rights. Opposed to Northerners coming South to make money – carpetbaggers and scalawags – out of the Reconstruction governments. Destroyed by the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (aka the Ku Klux Klan Act) of President Ulysses S. Grant. A warning leaflet from Alabama in Ohio is a Republican state in the North.

Mississippi Ku-Klux members in the disguises in which they were captured. Harper's Weekly January 27, 1872 Hundreds of blacks were murdered. Black churches and schools were attacked and burned. Pro-Union whites were horse-whipped in public. Threats of violence were made against Northern school teachers and government officials. Black voters were intimidated from taking part in elections. The First KKK –

Second Ku Klux Klan 1915 – Fuelled by two key events

‘Birth of a Nation’ (1915) took American cinemas by storm – many call it the first feature film. The film was based on two books – The Clansman and The Leopard’s Spots by Thomas Dixon – who said he wanted his books to ‘transform every man in my audience into a good Democrat’. The film’s publicity campaign featured men dressed in white robes who rode their horses into the cinemas.

The film is about two families – the Stonemans from the North and the Camerons from the South. The Camerons find their life in ruins as the Northern army brings in black militias who attempt to rape the white women.

The Klansmen rescue young Flora Cameron from the clutches of Gus, who is then lynched. The Reconstructionists are driven from the South and the Klan restores the Southern whites’ rights.

The second key event in the formation of the second Ku Klux Klan was the murder of Mary Phagan, aged 13, in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the early hours of April 27, 1913, the body of Mary Phagan was found in the basement toilets of the pencil factory in which she worked. She had been raped, beaten and strangled to death.

Several people were suspected – black factory workers Newt Lee and Jim Conley were the main suspects. Then, attention focussed upon the factory manager Leo Frank. Frank was a Northern Jew who was a prominent member of a Jewish organisation. Frank was charged and the resultant trial fuelled an orgy of press speculation which turned hearsay into truth. The trial started on July 28 and closed on October 10, Frank was sentenced to hang.

Georgia Governor John Slaton commuted the death sentence to life in 1915 – to the disgust of the local population.

On August 16, men stormed the jail and took the law into their own hands.

William J. Simmons, 35, a former Methodist preacher, invited the lynch mob (aka The Knights of Mary Phagan) and some of the aging original Klan members to launch the new Ku Klux Klan, inspired by his viewing of ‘Birth of a Nation’.

They met on top of Stone Mountain where a cross was burned – as seen in the film, but not in the first KKK – and the new Klan was formed, with Simmons its leader, or Grand Wizard.

The Ku Klux Klan Great increase In power Anti-black Anti-immigrant Anti-women’s suffrage Anti-bootleggers Anti-Semitic Anti-Catholi c Anti-African American

Ku Klux Klan 1920 The Klan hires 2 sales agents to help expand their power base beyond the south. KKK members were paid to recruit new members. They directed their hatred against anyone who was not white and Protestant. They now targeted Catholics, Jews, Asians, and immigrants as well as African Americans. By 1925, The Klan had over 5 million members.

African Americans were not the only minority group to experience discrimination and hardship Mexicans were seen racially inferior and their increasing numbers threatened American civilization. Mexicans were seen racially inferior and their increasing numbers threatened American civilization. Congress refused to place limits on Latin American immigration, it created the U.S. Border Control in 1924, requiring those entering America to pay $10 for a visa. Many couldn’t afford it and began to cross illegally Congress refused to place limits on Latin American immigration, it created the U.S. Border Control in 1924, requiring those entering America to pay $10 for a visa. Many couldn’t afford it and began to cross illegally Asian immigrants could not become citizens, Asian children were segregated in public school, and they couldn’t own any properties. Asian immigrants could not become citizens, Asian children were segregated in public school, and they couldn’t own any properties. Native Americans were only permitted to leave the reservation with the permission of the reservation agent. They were very poor, most of their homes were shacks without fresh water or toilets, their schools, were inadequate, and disease like tuberculosis and measles were killing thousands of them each year.

Florida History Seminoles were living peacefully in the Everglades and Big Cypress. Due to the increased of tourism and real estates development in the 1920s, the Seminoles way of live became endangered. The construction of Tamiami Trail connecting Tampa to Miami, became the first road through the Everglades. Construction of homes also threatened. The demand for their alligator hides and furs fell. The two groups that exist today are Miccosukee and Seminoles.

Rosewood (Massacre), FL Florida became the scene of some of the nation’s worst racial violence. Rosewood was a African-American community southwest of Gainesville. A white woman was attacked in the nearby town of Sumner and blames it on a black man. A mob of angry white man went to Rosewood in search of her attacker. They terrorized and killed Rosewood residents. Some sought refuge in the woods, others hid in John Wright ‘s well and other white citizen’s homes. Those who survived took a oath of silence, lived in fear and never returned to claim their property.

A predominantly black town was wiped out and many killed by a white mob, because of false allegations made by a white woman. Remaining residents abandoned the town. The initial report of the Rosewood incident presented less than a month after the massacre claimed there was insufficient evidence for prosecution. Thus no one was charged with any of the Rosewood murders.

Look at the picture of “Josh.” Josh is the little boy who is playing with the shield of a police officer during a Klan March in Gainesville, Georgia. Examine the picture closely, then write answers to each of the following questions.

1.What is the first thing that you notice about this picture? 2. What kinds of feelings does it prompt in you? 3. What meaning do you attach to the situation describe in the photo? 4. Would you feel differently about this picture if the officer that “Josh” is interacting with was not African-American? For example, what if the officer was white? Latino? Asian- American? 5. What do you think is going on in the officer’s head at this moment? What are his facial expressions saying?

6. What kinds of things would you say to “Josh” if you were the officer? 7. Do you think that this experience would have an impact on the “Josh’s” future prejudices if the officer were to speak to him? 8. What do you think “Josh” is thinking or feeling about the officer? About the Ku Klux Klan march? 9. If you were a bystander and observed “Josh” and the officer, what would you feel, think, and do? 10. If you could change anything about this picture, what would it be?

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