Ku Klux Klan Research Paper

In America there has been many different hate groups whose purpose, although on face value seems to be racism, is rather political, economic and elitist. In the United States, for over 150 years, one of these groups, in particular the KKK, aka Klu Klux klan, has forced its political objectives of segregation and demolition of civil rights by terrorist acts and has influenced the start of other groups to act the same. The KKK is a political and criminal organization whose agenda is to maintain a low economic class that can be used and abused by economic usurpers. The Ku Klux Klan began as a political reaction to the confederate republic’s devastating defeat, politically, socially, and economically to the North, following the Civil War, morphed

The organization resulted in thousands of deaths, injuries, riots, etc. In 1866 a quarrel between whites and blacks killed and wounded many along with the destruction of schools and churches. Two months later a new riot occurred in New Orleans, the beginning the spread of racist attacks, mostly throughout the south. The Klan and other terrorist groups began intimidating republicans with brutal acts. For example, “In Kansas, over 2,000 murders were committed in connection with the election. In Georgia, the number of threats and beatings was even higher. And in Louisiana, 1000 blacks were killed as the election neared. In those three states, Democrats won decisive victories at the polls” (“Grant, and the Reconstruction of the KKK”). The racist acts are shown as very political, having these murders connected with the election when at that time most of the Republican portion of the legislature was

A movie released in 1915 entitled “Birth of a Nation” by W.G. Griffiths romanticized the KKK as heroes, and initiating a new group of members, wearing white hooded robes, and burning crosses, a Scottish ritual call to arms. A new leader, Colonel William J Simmons goal was to now create a new and “improved“ Klan. His goal was now to create a new and “improved” klan. He would send hundreds of salesmen, mostly Protestant ministers all over the country in hope to sell the Klan’s beliefs. It did not take much time for millions of Klansmen and Klanswomen to join and immediately an increase in beatings and murders occurred, especially in the south. The killings beatings escalated from specifically officers in the government/ blacks to white Protestants who offended the Ku Klux Klan in some way, for example, “This second generation of the Klan was not only anti-black but also took a stand against Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners and organized labor” (History.com Staff 1). Simmons established new rules as to who was able to join, and became rather strict about