7.4 Ku Klux Klan Notes

Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) instilled fear in former slaves through white hooded riders, burning crosses, and hangings after the Civil War.
The first meeting of a small group was in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866.
The KKK was established as a group of small county bands in Nashville, Tennessee, in April 1867.
Most of its leaders were former members of the Confederate Army.
The KKK was led by a grand wizard; Nathan Bedford Forrest was the first.

Klan members wore masks, white cardboard hats, and white sheets.
They terrorized African Americans and white sympathizers in the South through torture and murder.
Many believed they were the ghosts of Confederate soldiers.
The initial goal was to maintain white supremacy in the South.
Later, the goal shifted to restoring white government in the Southern states.
The Klan initially aimed to prevent African Americans from voting.
Overt prevention was difficult due to the presence of Union troops at polling places.

The Klan used subtle tactics to intimidate Black voters.
Late-night warnings and flaming crosses were placed in front of freedmen's houses.
Outspoken African Americans faced murder or lynching as a warning to others.
The Klan also hindered African Americans trying to establish businesses.
Klan members were often upright white citizens, friends of local white officials, sheriffs, and deputies.
Activities were typically conducted late at night.
Voices were often recognized despite the masks.
Complaints to authorities were often ignored due to sympathies with the Klan.
Local law officials and judges rarely stopped Klan activities.
It was safer for African Americans to remain passive.

News of the Klan's activities reached Washington.
Republicans in Congress urged President Ulysses S. Grant to take action.
In 1870, Grant called for an investigation of the Ku Klux Klan.
In 1871, a grand jury reported their findings:
- The Klan inflicted summary vengeance on colored citizens.
- They broke into houses at night, tortured residents, and murdered many.
In April 1871, Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act.
- It empowered the President to intervene in states with Klan problems.
- The President could suspend the writ of habeas corpus and jail Klansmen without trial in severely disturbed counties.
Many Klansmen were arrested but often released without punishment.
By 1871, the Klan's goals of white supremacy and control were largely achieved, leading to their disappearance until a resurgence in the early 1900s.

The Klan founders enjoyed showing off.
They dressed in sheets and rode horses through Pulaski, gaining attention.
Sheets became the official uniform, later adding masks and pointed hats.
Elaborate ceremonies welcomed new members.
Inductees were blindfolded, forced to repeat oaths.
New Klansmen were brought before a mirror (royal altar) and given a crown of donkey ears.

Southern Republicans and Freedmen's Bureau workers were targets.
Weekly reports of assaults and murders of blacks were common.
Political riots were staged as excuses to attack and kill former slaves.
Odds against blacks were often as high as 1 to 10.
Masked Klan rioters often shot into or burned houses with residents inside.
Successful Black farmers were driven from their land.
From January 1867 to June 1867, North and South Carolina reported 197 murders and 548 cases of assault against former slaves.

What state was the Ku Klux Klan first meeting held in?
- A. Virginia
- B. Florida
- C. Tennessee
- D. Mississippi
Answer: C. Tennessee