The KKK can be divided into three major time periods. The first Klan started in 1865 and lasted until 1874. Only lasting 9 years makes it the shortest time period, but easily one of the worst. On December 24, 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee the KKK was formed by Confederate veterans. They created the group to throw off the Reconstruction policies of the Republican Congress and to …show more content…
As they spread towards the northern and western regions the group dressed themselves and their horses in white robes and masks. Not only to protect their identities, but to pose as the ghost of the dead Confederate soldiers. They would have soundless marches in the streets at night “silent parades” as a reminder to everyone of their power. The Klan got what they wanted for the most part through terror alone, but they also used physical violence. They would whip, beat, lynch and pour tar and feathers over their victims, they believed violated their set of standards. The wrath of the group was monumental. The Klan’s terror was tremendously successful in keeping the blacks from voting, so that the ex-Confederates could obtain After so much torture and abuse from the KKK Congress passed legislation to combat the Klan in 1870. There is no exact date for the termination of the first KKK group. The Klan undoubtedly carried on throughout 1870 but after Democratic victory in the state …show more content…
Sixteen men went to the top of a mountain in Atlanta, Georgia and performed one of the most famous actions of the group and set fire to a cross. The new leader William Simmons’s inspiration to revive the Klan came from his father, member of the original group. The United States at the time was fighting the problems brought on by the heavy influx of immigrants. The Klan tried to appeal to the middle class, claiming to be a purely benevolent club, the Klan attracted members instantly. When the US joined World War I, the Klan promised to defend the home front against alien enemies, African Americans, immoral women, Catholics and Jews.
Simmons hired publicists to recruit in 1920. There was a huge increase in membership and by 1921, the Klan had close to 100,000 members and massive amounts of money. At the Democratic National Convention 1924,40,000 proud members of the Klan paraded through the streets of Washington, D.C. The group was so persuasive that many politicians felt an urge to join. Even future President Harry Truman was temporarily a