Many people have wished they could do whatever they wanted and not get in trouble for it. (I know I have!) The Ku Klux Klan did just that. They murdered, tortured, terrorized, and pillaged African American people, homes and communities without fear of repercussions. The KKK was able to get away with many felonious crimes, due to their immunity after the Civil War. The Klan used violence and bribery to force African Americans to be respectful or to make Republicans drop out of politics. Many people joined the Klan; revered leaders, farmers, and everybody in between. The Ku Klux Klan was originally a social club for former Confederate soldiers. It later evolved into a terrorist group responsible for thousands of deaths. They weakened the South’s …show more content…
In one raid, 49 people were killed, 70 were injured, and many buildings were burned. One man, Abram Colby, was offered $5000 to leave his political standing, and when he refused, was severely beaten within inches of his life. “I have never gotten over it yet. They broke something inside of me.” There have been many influential people high in the KKK lineup. The first “Grand Wizard”, the highest ranking leader, was Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was a big general in the Civil War. It wasn’t just the influential people who joined the Klan either. There were people from all social classes. Colby, identifying his attackers, states “Some are first-class men in our town. One is a lawyer, one a doctor and some are farmers.” The KKK was very open and not worried about repercussions. They didn’t hesitate to take off their masks. They also made very public threats, not caring about who heard or saw. The Ku Klux Klan was a terror and menace in our country. Thankfully, we don’t have to openly deal with them anymore. Yes, we have other racial problems, but no KKK. They slaughtered, tormented and threatened all African American people. We are lucky to be rid of