How Did The Ku Klux Klan Affect Society

1170 Words5 Pages

Throughout the years after the Ku Klux Klan was formed, it had many dilemmas with public image; however, soon enough, they began to rise in power, controlling society and politics. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Ku Klux Klan was, arguably, the Klan gained over millions of open supporters to help march and spread the word of white supremacy. The Klan spread as fast as a wildfire, even though their first years of creation were harsh; they were constantly feared by the public, and those who openly opposed them were sent death threats. After the 1930s, the Klan significantly lost power and respect from the people. Now, the Ku Klux Klan is but a faded memory, and frequently the punch-line of a joke. This demise was brought on by many factors; however, …show more content…

After the end of the American Civil War, the Confederate soldiers returned to find their houses and towns in complete ruins. On a June night, six Confederate veterans met in a law office in Pulaski, Tennessee. The founders wanted to create a beneficial town with mystery, therefore, the members of the Klan were to wear robes and masks at all public sightings. The mystery that the founders had created, soon become involved with a supernatural aspect. During their night rides in the town, the members of the Klan frightened newly freed slaves by pretending to be ghost of the dead Confederate soldiers. When new leaders came to power, the night rides became violent and they began a secret war against the “Yankee government” on its path to reconstruction. After the establishment of the Black …show more content…

This depiction helped fuel the Klan’s revival in 1915. Colonel William Joseph Simmons held a meeting with 16 other men on Thanksgiving Eve to light a cross on top of Stone Mountain in Georgia; however, the Klan was completely reborn. The rise of the Klan was sealed when the film “The Birth of a Nation” came out, and was further reinforced when President Woodrow Wilson showed this movie at the White House. After this advertisement, Simmons adopted the new face of creating the perfect patriot group to solve America’s racial problem- the freedom of African American