The Klan's Fight For Americanism Summary

In 1926, Hiram Wesley Evans, then Imperial Wizard and Emperor of the Ku Klux Klan, published “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism”, a leaflet that set forth the principles and fundamentals of what many called the revival of the KKK in 1920’s America, a new version of the organization that was originally formed by Nathan Bedford Forrest after the Civil War in an effort to maintain the supremacy of the white man over the recently freed African­ American slaves. The researcher will analyze and discuss Evans’ writing in this paper from the standpoint of his views and specific tenets to be found within “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism”. In addition, the researcher will present views as to whether or not Evans’ views agree with those of the researcher, and ultimately,

As a result of the KKK’s revival, by 1926, the organization had over 3 million members. The KKK increased its list of those whom it hated to include Jews, Catholics, Communists, and those who were members of the labor unions that were gaining popularity in America during that time. Hiram W.Evans, upon assuming control of the KKK in 1926, wrote “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism” as a means to lay the groundwork for what would be a new expansion of the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century. Americanism as Defined by Evans One of the key terms that Evans uses in his writing is the term Americanism, something that he claims is a hallmark of the KKK. The term Americanism in this context has its roots in patriotism, something that the KKK claims to have in abundance; however, the interpretation of patriotism that the KKK has varied greatly from what one would usually find in the belief systems of someone like Abraham Lincoln, for example. Patriotism, as the cornerstone of Americanism, in this case has some far reaching