"Rise of the KKK"

The Rise of the KKK
Origin' 2nd Resurgence 3d Resurgence Notable members
 * Storm Thurmond

  Origins 

The notorious KKK is an hate group first founded in the 1865, whilst their members where unknown their purpose were clear; in the afthermath of the American civil war, beginning of the reconstruction period, the KKK purpose was to overthrow the newly established provisional republican state governments in the conquered southern states of US, to instil fear in african/americans representatives, organisations and to keep pre-war culture and traditions.

The First Clan

The notorious group, was first founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, sometime between December 1865 and August 1866 by six former officers of the Confederate army

1st Resurgence

Before 1915 the clan had dissapitated, but the methodist preacher Joseph Simpsons called for a secret society of "pure-white" americans, with the same ideals as the first but they also increased their target groups, Jews and Catholics were added.

Afterwards in the 1930s "Great Depression" the Clan Lost more support, and many of their leader and members got put in jail for murder. Then in 1944 the clan Disappeared for tax-debts.

2nd Resurgence The Klan resurged again in response to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The old terror tactics were employed as before, especially lynchings.

Many local and state officials in the south were either klansmen or supported the Klan.

In 1964 the KKK leader and local Missisipi baptist preacher, Edgar Rey Killen organised a lynch-mob to kill civil rights activists, Michael Schwerner were amongst those killed. This lynching shocked the US and spurred support for the Civil Rights movement. Lawsuits by several groups, including the Southern Proverty Law Center, did the most damage to the Klan and its influence waned.