The 1920's brought about a huge rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan.
While it was very powerful at the time period after the Civil War,
the passing of the Force Bill soon slowed the Klan down. The Force
Bill said that the President could use federal troops against the
Klan. It would be some time before the Klan would reappear. (Penner
545)
Almost fifty years after the Civil War, the Klan reemerged in
America. It started up in Atlanta, Georgia by a former preacher named
Col. William J. Simmons (1880-1945) in 1915. It began as a patriotic,
Protestant, fraternal society that went by the name of the Invisible
Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Membership was open to
native-born, white, Protestant, males, older than 16. It directed its
actions against blacks, immigrants, Jews, and Roman Catholics.
(Penner 545)
Up until the 1920's, the Klansmen had little influence, but World War
I had an effect on that. With the country in turmoil because of
political and social unrest, it expanded rapidly in urban areas. The
Klan became active in: Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The Klan
preached white supremacy and attacked outsiders. Many scare tactics
such as burning crosses and even physical harm were used to gain
power or intimidate.(Penner 545) The Klan during the 1920's targeted
incoming immigrants and African Americans.
The Klan gained political power by getting Klansmen voted into public
office. Elected Klansmen gained power throughout the south, but also
in many western and northern states as well. (Penner 545)
1924 is said to be the peak of the Klan's power. Membership was
estimated to be around 3 million. The Klan had so much political
power that when a resolution denouncing the Klan came up at the
Democratic National Convention in 1924, it sparked a bitter debate,
and was defeated. (Penner 545)
However, by the mid to late 20's, internal fighting, violence, and
bad leadership hurt the Klan. Political opposition had also
increased. The Klan started to fade, and by 1929 its numbers had
dwindled down to a mere several thousand members.
WORKS CITED
Penner, Louis. Prejudice and Descrimination". Encyclopedia
Americana. Volume 22, p. 545.
