Ku Klux Klan's Long History Of Violence example essay topic

The Ku Klux Klan, is a secret terrorist organization that originated in the southern states during the period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War and was reactivated on a wider geographic basis in the 20th century. The original Klan was organized in Pulaski, Tennessee, during the winter of 1865 to 1866, by six former Confederate army officers who gave their society a name adapted from the Greek word kuk los ("circle"). Although the Ku Klux Klan began as a prank ish social organization, its activities soon were directed against the Republican Reconstruction governments and their leaders, both black and white, which came to power in the southern states in 1867. The Ku Klux Klan's long history of violence grew out of the resentment and hatred many white Southerners felt in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Blacks, having won the struggle for freedom from slavery, were now faced with a new struggle against widespread racism and the terrorism brought about by the Ku Klux Klan. While the menace of the has peaked and waned over the years, it has never vanished. William J. Simmons, a veteran, preacher and salesman, was a compulsive joiner, holding memberships in many different societies and two churches. He had always dreamed of starting his own fraternal group and in the fall of 1915 he put his plans into action. On Thanksgiving Eve, Simmons herded 15 fellow fraternal ists onto a bus and drove them from Atlanta to nearby Stone Mountain. There, before a cross of pine boards, Simmons lit a match and the Ku Klux Klan of the 20th century was born.

In 1920, the "re-born" Klan consisted only of a few thousand members. With the help of two publicists, Simmons spread the word of the Klan around the U.S. like wildfire The Klan was to be pro-American, which to them meant anti-black, anti-Jewish and most importantly, anti-Catholic. The Klan grew rapidly from a few thousand members to millions of Klansmen. Now that the Klan was growing they made it very clear that their hatred was to be directed towards Asians, immigrants, bootleggers, dope, graft, night clubs and road houses, violation of the Sabbath, sex, pre- and extra-marital escapades and scandalous behavior.

The Ku Klux Klan was infamous for their violent, racist, and immoral acts of pure hatred towards "impure" Americans. Lynching was not an uncommon ritual for the Klan. Klansmen would often break into the homes of African American and kidnap them. They then would whip them repeatedly while they would chant phrases exulting white supremacy. After viciously whipping their victim they would hang them and leave them for others to see.

They wanted to put fear into the hearts of their enemies. Between 1918 and 1927, there were no fewer than 417 lynchings of blacks. Surprisingly, the Klan was most prominent in the Midwest, rather than the South. The Imperial Wizard (highest ranking klansman) Hiram Evans, a dentist, said that they were proud of being "hicks, and rubes and drivers of second hand fords".

However the more respectable members abandoned the Klan when national organizer David Stephenson of Indiana was convicted of sadistic sexual murder and exposed the Klan's corruptions to the authorities. In the mid-1920's, inept and exploitive leadership, internal conflict, and alleged Klan immorality and violence badly damaged the Klan's reputation, thereby causing increased political opposition. By 1929 the Klan had been reduced to several thousand members. Today the Ku Klux Klan is still active.

Fortunately the Klan's population is still rather low and very scattered across the United States. However, as long as there are seeds of hatred the reality of the K.K.K. will remain an evil within our society.