Ku Klux Klan: History and Features - Research Paper Example

Module: Ku Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan or simply the KKK is a group which this paper will concentrate on. Its history dates back in 1865 when it was formed by Confederate Army in Tennessee. The KKK borrowed its name from a Greek word kuklos which essentially means a circle therefore a circle of brothers. Contrary to the popular believe KKK had very humble beginnings as its original agenda was to assist windows and orphans. It concentrated in conducting charitable functions for the said groups of people in the society. Unfortunately, the group turned violent five years later and was legally banned. The group had become a harbor for extremists who championed for white supremacy. The group is in essence comprised of three Klans on historical basis the first starting from 1865 to 1874, second from 1915-1944 and later Klans from 1950s to present. The group is one of the most famous not only in the United States but the whole world as it has transcended the test of time since its inception despite the many attempts, legal and otherwise, to try and extinguish its presence and influence. KKK - 1865 - 1874 KKK at this time did not have a definite structure as an organization most likely due to the nature of its objectives. There was however other groups existing at the same time i.e. 1865 especially in the Southern United States which took up the same name KKK as well as mannerisms (McVeigh 263). This is one of the first ways in which it spread. The Klan members acted as vigilantes whereby they murdered mostly radical republicans irrespective of whether they were black or white. They wore masks and robes to hide their identities and usually ambushed their targets at night. This group was formed almost immediately after the Civil War whereby the veterans were against the changed society where people from different races had acquired some freedom seemingly undermining white supremacy. Many states after the Civil War experienced long periods of lawlessness which fuelled their efforts to use violence with impunity against black people. They later turned to Republicans and their ideologies claiming they were pro-blacks. They claimed that African Americans were largely voting for Republicans consequently trying to curtail their rights to vote, education and economic wellbeing. The group went as far as assassinating a congressman, J. M. Hinds and members of the legislature who were Republicans. Roughly 2,000 people were reported dead in Louisiana in 1968 just before the elections which followed a boycott by Republicans from voting in Fall of that year (Parker 63). The same actions were happening in other southern states leaving hundreds dead in the woods and thousands injured. By 1871, Acts had been passed that made it possible to prosecute the group’s crimes. In 1974 Klan groups reformed targeting Republicans by removing them from office through violence and intimidation. These actions were largely attributed to the landslide victory by Democrats in the South back in 1877 (78). KKK - 1915-1944 This Klan rekindled the ones that had died four decades earlier. The origin was in Georgia where its functions were largely concentrated. However, as time went by new recruits joined across the nation and the group leaders notably William Simmons realized the potential they had and immediately started fresh recruitment drives all over United States (Dray 113). This was a time of prosperity in the country and they found it easy to gain many affluent members. Apart from being heavily racist KKK had messages that were anti-Catholicism. They also preached against communism and Semitism. The group increasingly became violent towards these groups or people affiliated to them regardless of their race. This KKK had a definite structure at both national and state levels and by 1925 the group widely publicized claims that its membership comprised of more than 15 percent of the total US population. These claims were however refuted as they had no scientific or factual basis. They were mere propaganda to facilitate further recruitments and intimidate opposing groups or institutions like the Catholic Church. One of the factors that led to KKK rekindling is the movie directed by D. Griffiths titled The Birth of a Nation. This film was widely aired and it worshiped the former KKK (Levitt & Dubner 82-6). The other event was the Leo Frank case which received heavy coverage. Frank was a Jewish manager who was accused of raping and subsequently murdering a white girl. Frank was sentenced to life imprisonment which angered many people due to the growing anti-Semitism fuelled by the KKK at the time (86). Frank was later kidnapped from prison and found hanged on a tree. Before 1913 there was mass immigration by Europeans who were predominantly Catholic (Chalmers 127). This caused a great deal of friction with the predominant protestant American population. The spread of the group to the North was facilitated by the mass migration of African Americans from the South. They went to the North to work in industries where racism spread fast leading to a niche ground for KKK to thrive. The cities at this time were growing pretty fast with many people leaving the rural areas in search of better jobs. Competition for jobs also triggered racism as a tool to eliminate black population from job slots. Cities like Detroit and Atlanta became good breeding grounds for KKK. This led to one of its major distinctions from the first KKK by being primarily urbanized. They also established the Burning Cross as a sign of the group. Other acts committed by the groups included; mutilation, floggings, branding with acid, warnings and kidnappings among others. World War II also raised the need for people of the same race to come together since many had dispersed to foreign lands where people met more strangers than friends (McWhorter 85-9). Propositions also to arm citizens fuelled protest from Southerners in respect to arming African Americans. The Klan became a political force which manipulated election outcomes. They had at one time taken over the management of affairs of the City Council of Anaheim, California. The group prospered well across the country by the then standards but internal wrangles and weaknesses overshadowed its cohesiveness and by 1940s it had fully varnished. KKK - 1950S - PRESENT The 1950s had seen a tremendous increase in opposition of racism and promotion of equality for all Americans. The Civil Rights Movement was one such vocal group that had penetrated mostly the African American population which demanded for equality across racial lines. Many other groups had been established to echo the same sentiments of desegregation which was a popular practise across the nation. The KKK could not sit and watch the events as they unfolded and as a result they staged many violent attacks against the movement’s followers that included bombings in Birmingham, Alabama. They also perpetrated numerous heinous acts like the notable firebombing of 1966. They went to extents of including the police in such acts. In 1970s and beyond the Klan took new measures of opposing court rulings in favor of desegregation (Nelson 68). They also committed more murders into the 1980s. The current statistics estimate their presence to be slightly less than 8,000 most of who live in the Southern United States. The current constitution of the KKK is however a composition of many chapters. The group has lately received huge condemnation with many proposing for its consideration as a terrorist group to facilitate the crackdown of its members. In the 2000s the group has focused on Hispanic immigration by condemning it and instilling fear in all Americans that immigration will lead to the country’s ultimate downfall as a world superpower rendering it vulnerable to external aggression. KKK as a group has been identified by key figures in the United States as a bigger threat to peace and stability than Muslim extremists (O'Donnell 210). This is based on the fact that it is an internal group whose structure and composition of membership are unclear. Based on its historical trend the group is clearly dangerous. Its sources of finances are also unclear although much comes from membership dues. It however does not require huge financing as its leadership is held on voluntary or unofficial capacity. Based also on the fact that they have many chapters that form the big KKK group coordination proves to be difficult. As such consolidation of a single source of financing is impossible. Of importance to note is that there is no evidence to support claims that the group is externally supported by political groups. CONCLUSION Ku Klux Klan has been in operation intermittently almost for one and a half century. Of all the times it has been in force its core values have been suppression of other races and belief in white supremacy. They have committed numerous violent crimes of rape and murder against people of other races and whites who oppose their ideologies. Some laws like the Force Acts have been formulated to charge the members with these crimes. As a group it is generally outlawed in many states. Despite wide criticism it has thrived especially in the South where it took root right from its establishment. New recruits are enrolled into the group and exposed to their ideologies of white supremacy. Works Cited Chalmers, David M. Backfire: How the Ku Klux Klan Helped the Civil Rights Movement. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. Print. Dray, Philip. At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America. New York: Random House, 2002. Print. Levitt, Stephen D. & Dubner, Stephen J. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. New York: William Morrow, 2005. Print. McVeigh, Rory. The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan: Right-Wing Movements and National Politics, 2009. Print. McWhorter, Diane. Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama, The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. Print. Nelson, Jack. Terror in the Night: The Klan's Campaign against the Jews. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. Print. O'Donnell, Patrick. Ku Klux Klan America's First Terrorists Exposed, 2006: 210. Print. Parker, Emily. "'Night-Shirt Knights' in the City: The Ku Klux Klan in 1920s Worcester, Massachusetts," New England Journal of History 66.1 (2009): 62–78. Print. Read More