Essay on The Klu Klux Klan - 2473 Words

The Ku Klux Klan originated over one hundred years ago and has gone through many changes since its beginning. Although many people know the Ku Klux Klan exists, they do not understand its purpose or how it has changed throughout its life. After the Civil War ended, the Southern states went through a time known as Reconstruction. Ex-Confederate soldiers had returned home now, and they were still upset about the outcome of the war. It is at this point in time that the Ku Klux Klan became a part of everyday life for many Southerners. In the beginning the Ku Klux Klan was started to be a way for people who had the same views to spend time together. The original members meant of the Ku Klux Klan to be a hilarious social club that would be†¦show more content†¦After many hours of deliberating they decided on the name derived from the Greek word kuklos, meaning circle Ku Klux.(Intro. to the Knights of the KKK, p.2) The group later added Klan to the word to make the phrase complete. At this time the group decided what to call the different ranks of the members, starting with the leader, the Grand Cyclops, all the way down to the ghouls, or members of no rank. When the men had finished organizing, they were overjoyed about their group, and they decided to show everyone their creation. The members wrapped themselves and their horses in sheet and rode through the small town and terrified everyone, especially Negroes. No doubt, this is the harmless little club that later would be taken to extremes by its members. Admittedly, the Ku Klux Klan did become out of control in later years, but when it was first created it had no specific meaning; it was a way just to have fun. After the members saw the effect the groups appearance had on people, they began to use the results to their advantage. Because the Klan resembled ghost, many of the citizens of Pulaski believed them to be dead soldiers of the Confederate Army when they saw them riding on their horses through the small town. While Negroes were busy avoiding the Ku Klux Klan, its purpose changed. The Ku Klux Klan began aiming its violent actions toward Negroes, Jews, Orientals, and various other members of society that did not belong to the white race. AlthoughShow MoreRelated Klu Klux Klan Essay1201 Words   |  5 PagesKlu Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan was a brutal, suppressive cult organization which fought to deny the basic civil rights and human liberties granted to citizens of the U.S. by the Bill of Rights to African-Americans, immigrants, Roman-Catholics, Jews, socialists, communists, and anyone else who went against its beliefs or interfered in its work. The Klan was first established in Pulaski, Tennessee in May 1866 by Nathan Forrest, just two years after the end of the Civil War. Some white southernersRead MoreThe Klu Klux Klan in America Essay2011 Words   |  9 PagesThe Klu Klux Klan was actually started in 1865 by six men in Pulaski, Tennessee and their white, hooded guise was meant to mock ghosts. The name came from the Greek word kuklos which means circle and the Scottish word clan. During its beginnings the Klan was thought to be a passing guerilla organization which would last only as long as â€Å"Northern carpetbaggers, illiterate Negros, and Southern renegades ruled the Southern states† (Secret Societies). By 1868 there were five-hundred and fifty thousandRead MoreExplore the Reasons for the Resurgence of the Klu Klux Klan in 1920s America1535 Words   |  7 PagesExplore the reasons for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan movement in 1920s America and the political changes it caused. In the 1920s North America experienced a huge rise in immigrants from black, Hispanic and Jewish backgrounds. 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The Klu Klux Klan is a harsh and is extremelyRead MoreAfrican American Oppression Following The Civil War875 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans inferior (Black). The Klu Klux Klan was a vigilante group that had similar goals to the Black Codes (Bryant). Following the Civil War, many confederate veterans made up vigilante groups whose objective was to rob and intimidate freed slaves (Klu). The Klu Klux Klan, also known as the KKK, was a group who was the primary oppressor against African Americans. They wore white robes and sheets in order to not be identified by their victims or other potential witnesses (Klu). Their victims includedRead MoreEssay on American Civil War and Fugitive Slave Act743 Words   |  3 Pagesexplains how the life of an African American remained cruel and taken advantage of through explaining the life of a slave before the War and then the mentality that whites were better than blacks that continued after, seen through the effects of the Klu Klux Klan. First of all, Howard Zinn proves his thesis by talking about the life of a slave prior to the war. â€Å"But can statistics record what it meant for families to be torn apart, when a master, for profit, sold a husband or a wife, a son or a daughterRead MoreTaking a Look at the Ku Kux Klan594 Words   |  2 PagesPulaski Tennessee. The Ku Klux Klan Impacted Civil Rights by discriminating against blacks, Jews, lesibians, gays, Cathlics and white republicans, for instance, in 1867 and onward, people of the South started an underground campaign of violence against all republican leaders, the Ku Klux Klan attacked all republican leaders, including whites, reasoning for attacking white republican leaders is because they hoped to restore the white supremacy in the South. The Ku Klux Klan mainly targeted schools,