Ku Klux Kl A Historiography Analysis

The main objective of a historiography paper is to research and define the distinct evolution of a historical viewpoint on a certain event or subject matter. Historical perceptions of the Ku Klux Klan as an organization and its origins have been greatly modified over time. Beginning in the Reconstruction as an organization dedicated to maintaining social order, the Klan has become the face of various historical interpretations. The three groups of sources that follow are categorized by the historical viewpoint of the Klan as an organization. The first group of sources focuses on the Klan being established in an effort to regulate society back to its’ “natural” law and order. The second group of sources focuses on a racially motivated Klan,

Ku Klux: The Birth of the Klan during Reconstruction. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2015 Within Chapters 1 and 5 of her book, Ku Klux: The Birth of the Klan during Reconstruction, Elaine Frantz Parsons once again touches on the Ku Klux Klan as an organization, this time using her prior knowledge to gain a more modern-day viewpoint of the Klan. Parsons argues that the Klan represents the most violent aspect of U.S. history. Parsons describes the Klan as a result of white southerners feeling at a loss of control. Within chapter 5, Parsons argues that the Klan was actually not a result of the dying South, but rather a result of a power struggle between Republicans and Democrats, using the Klan to enhance support for their parties. Parsons describes the variety of uses for the Klan, including its political potential, which was later used to turn the Klan into a vigilante force. I plan to use this book in part of my historiography because this book as a whole is extremely helpful, as it shows the final evolution of a historical viewpoint of the Klan as racially motivated and political

Wald argues that although society is so used to depicting the Klan as an extremist group set out to terrorize and destroy the lives of newly freed African American slaves, the Klan was actually established as a political party; one that peacefully pursued its goals through conventional political activity. The author describes the Klan as an engaged member of society, participating heavily in the electoral process, nominating many of its members for office positions. Rather than participating in violent terrorism, Wald argues that the Klan benefitted society’s economy and political system. Because of the Klan’s political successes, Wald describes the characteristics of the Klan as being much more than a social network of formal institutions, organized by white supremacists. Because of its historical similarity to the other sources within the group, I plan to use this article in the body of my historiography, using it as evidence to further back up my claim that the Ku Klux Klan was viewed as a political