The Ku Klux Klan began as a harmless social club composed of former Confederate soldiers. These six men were feared by African Americans. That sparked the idea of making an organization of Protestant supremacists. The group spread the word quickly by mouth and through newspaper articles. The membership of the organization quickly grew to a staggering 550,000 people. The Klan excluded African Americans, Jews, Catholics, and foreign born people from being a member. The KKK eventually became the the biggest hate organization in the South.
The first leader, or Grand Wizard, of the Ku Klux Klan was named Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was a lieutenant for the Confederate army during the Civil War. He became the leader because he was dedicated to keep segregation. He led the KKK in many murders and arsons. Forrest’s leadership was over the Invisible Empire, the entire territory where the Klan was located. The Wizard was considered a criminal at the start of a very bad time of racism in the United States of America.
The Ku Klux Klan destroyed many buildings and ended many African American lives. If a black person's shop or store was being successful, the KKK would either burn it down or kill the owners. The KKK also burnt down churches, homes, and schools. In addition to burning down buildings, the group also killed people who were either Republicans, Catholics, and others that did not share their same beliefs. The KKK used their power in many cruel and violent ways in order to influence African Americans’ decisions and actions.
Very few people got in the way of the KKK. This was mainly because of the extreme violence shown towards their opposers. On the other hand, Congress did pass the Ku Klux Klan Act in 1871 which allowed the government to act out against terrorist organizations. These anti-terrorist laws were also known as “force laws”. After Congress passed the KKK Act, the Ku Klux Klan’s numbers began to dissolve. As their membership plummeted, the South swore that they would soon become a threat again.
The KKK were clothed in white robes with white pointed hoods and masks. These robes and hoods are a symbol of fraternal brotherhood. This wardrobe was frightening to blacks because they knew that the person was a representative of the Ku Klux Klan. They also are well known for burning crosses even though they are a Christian group. The reason behind the crosses is because Scottish clans used to set fire to crosses as an act of defiance against military rivals. African Americans left their homes after midnight so they wouldn’t be seen the Klan. The sight of the KKK, or even a KKK member, would bring fear into the minds of many African Americans.
The Ku Klux Klan is still in existence today. Although they are not as dominant as they used to be, they still are racist and lead violent protests against African Americans. There are still KKK groups with at least 8,000 members left in 41 out of 50 states. Today, the KKK groups are lacking political and social influence so they are not a threat. For example, the Ku Klux Klan showed up at the 50th anniversary of ‘Bloody Sunday’ in Selma, Alabama to protest and throw out recruitment flyers. The flyers were put in bags with a rock inside, “a paperweight”, and thrown onto random doorsteps two weeks before the event. Racism through this organization is coming closer to an end within the United States.