Ku Klux Klan Research Paper

Large organizational bodies have always been a pivotal part of society, often using their numbers as a way to influence social or political change in their chosen directions. For example, in Nazi Germany, the ideals of German supremacy took over much of Eastern Europe. The Nazi fixation on a pure "blue eyed, blonde haired" regime, consumed a large section of the Eastern Hemisphere. Conversely, the Nazis zealously attacked all who didn't fit into their narrow standards of purity, a similar phenomenon occurred approximately 25 years prior in the United States. The Ku Klux Klan grew to an extremely high level of power in the early 1920s with similar goals of racial purity and inciting terror in those who didn't belong. In an eerily similar fashion

During this parade, 40,000 Klansmen and women, clad in their traditional pointy caps and white gowns, marched along the famous Pennsylvania Avenue proclaiming their strength in numbers. This parade was not the only presence of members in the Washington D.C area. At the Klan’s strongest point, they had elected “at least seventy-five congressmen and senators for five states.” In addition, a one-time Klan member, Hugo Black, served as a Supreme Court Justice for 30 years (Gottschalk 92). In fact, the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 can be considered something of a confidence vote for the reinvigorated Klan. Wilson a president who, while not openly supporting the Klan’s ideals, nevertheless stocked the federal government with southern democrats, politicians who effectively resegregated entire federal agencies under Wilson’s supervision. Again, Wilson, without openly advocating for the Klan, was sympathetic to them, and attempted to rationalize the Klan’s racial hatred, “the Klan] began to attempt by intimidation what they were not allowed to attempt by the ballot or by any ordered course of public action" (Wilson). Thus, the Klan with growing numbers, cash, and political patrons in high office reached an apex of national

However, the Klan did not stop there. They then went on to attack a much larger group of individuals, namely women. The KKK were disgusted by the new ideals of women in the 1920’s. These empowered women were able to find new opportunities they hadn’t had before. They wore short skirts, makeup and kept their hair short. These once modest women had a new found “sex appeal.” They began working to display their independence, as well as smoking and drinking in public places, something that had yet to be done. The mass media did nothing to censor women from the public's judging gaze (Kennedy 708-709 & The Ohio State).
The Ku Klux Klan was “Committed to protecting the ‘purity of White Womanhood,’” (qtd from The Ohio State). The Klan encouraged physical punishment to keep the women they personally supported in line, as well as commend the men did the same. However, there was one message that came from the ideals of the “new” women which the Klan supported- women's suffrage. The KKK had ulterior motives for supporting such a big movement in the 1920’s, they were hoping to gain their votes in regards the Klans candidates in politics as well as supporting their own agendas (The Ohio