Shortly after the Civil War, a small group of discouraged and defeated Confederate soldiers joined together to form an organization dedicated to the traditional life of the South. Mostly, their focus was to keep the enslavement of African-Americans. Originally only engaging in prankish activities, the notoriety of the group soon spread and became violent. Hence, the Ku Klux Klan.

Under the leadership of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Klan was united by their "shared racist ideals and the desire to preserve the old South." Engaged in lawless and violent acts, the Klansmen wore robes over their faces and body to conceal their identities. They were often referred to as the Invisible Empire because of their attire. The mark of the white robe was soon affiliated with such atrocities as threatening, beating, mutilating, and lynching African-Americans. Although by the end of the nineteenth century the Klan had primarily vanished, the KKK rose again after WWI.

In 1915, political and economical conditions were ideal for the rise of the second KKK. "Jewish bankers" and other foreigners were blamed for the decline in farming and marketing prices. This economic difficulty made the nation susceptible to the Klan's hate messages against all non-whites. Pro-Klan novels and movies, such as The Birth of a Nation, also inspired whites to form a new Klan.

Reaching its peak of over two million members, the Klan of the 1920's thrived on nativism, anti-Catholicism, opposition to the cultural modernism of the Jazz Era, and violations of alcohol, smoking, and gambling laws. Directing their hate tactics toward Catholics, Jews, and foreign-born, the Klan used tarring and feathering, branding, mutilating, and lynching (hanging) to install fear.

The Klan used others tactics to install fear as well. The most significant, which later became a trademark of the Klan,was the burning of the cross. The fiery cross is said to be a "symbol representing the ideals of Christian civilization." The cross itself is a symbol of sacrifice and service to Christ. The fire signifies that "Christ is the light of the world." The light is said to "drive away the darkness and the gloom so a knowledge of truth dispels ignorance and superstition." Burning crosses were left as a mark to warn those that had been violated by the Klan.

All was well for the Ku Klux Klan until 1925. The Klan had reached its peak with between 4 and 6 million members. The Klan had overwhelming pulls in state elections and influence on the elections of many governors as well as ties with organized crime. Eventually, though, people began to oppose the Klan.

A group called the American Unity League tried to diminish the KKK. They discovered and published the names of many Klansmen. This tactic seemed a sure win but was not very effective. The Klansmen stilled remained hooded at rallies, and most were prominent figures in their communities. As a result, the Klan split the Democratic presidential convention. The public did not take heed to this very well, and by the end of the 20's, a power struggle among the top postions of the Klan caused the group to split. The Klan quickly fizzled out with the conviction of the head of the Indiana Klan. Only a handful of Klansmen was the remainder of the millions that so previously had approved of the Klan's violent acts.

During the 1930's, the Klan was only active in the South. However, in 1946, a Georgia physician named Samuel Green started the present KKK. This Klan carried over to be a significant group in the 1960's. During this time, the Klan was involved in the notorious cases of the murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi and the deaths of four small African-American girls in Mobile, Alabama.

By the end of the 60's, the Klan had reached a membership of over 55,000. The Klan of the 1920's served as the roots for all other Klans to come. Although not prominent in today's society, the Ku Klux Klan still exists today.

Bibliography:

"The Fiery Cross." 27 Feb. 1998. Infoseek. Online. Internet. 11 Jan.1996. Available WWW: http://www.jrozkkk/kkk/222.com.html.

"Something To Think About." 27 Feb. 1998. Yahoo. Online. Internet. 27 Mar. 1997. Available WWW: http://csa.sapulpa.net/kukluxklan.html.

Gerlach, Larry R. "Ku Klux Klan." 27 Feb. 1998 Excite. Online. Internet. 17 Aug. 1996. Available WWW: http://www.media.utah.edu/medsol/UCME/k/KKK.html.

Gressit, Alexandra S. "Ku Klux Klan, Logansport, Indiana Records, 1933, 1935." 27 Feb. 1998. Excite. Online. Internet. 24 Jul. 1997. Available WWW: http://www2.ihs1830.org/ihs1830/sc2488.htm#HIST.

Theriault, Eric. "Ku Klux Klan." 27 Feb. 1998. Lycos. Online. Internet. 4 Oct. 1991. Available WWW: http://syn.fxbbs.com/reports/kkk.html.

"Ku Klux Klan." Collier's Encyclopedia. Ed. Jack Ramthun. 14 vols. New York: P.F. Collier, Inc., 1992

Landau, Elaine. The White Power Movement. Brookfield: The Millbrook Press, 1993.