Factors Effecting the Success of The Ku Klux Klan in America

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Factors Effecting the Success of The Ku Klux Klan in America

A hate group can never be explained, only accepted and fought against. For an unjustified reason in 1915, The Ku Klux Klan was born and spread its hate across the United States. The Klan started small, but gained millions of members in just a few short years. The Klan preached its beliefs to all Americans and urged everyone to join for the good of their country. Thousands of innocent people were slain because of their backgrounds. The Ku Klux Klan was a horrible group that became a symbol of crime and lawlessness. The Klan's views were based on white supremacy and unfortunately carried into the minds of millions. Although the Klan lasted only a short while, they made a mark in history and were one of the largest organized groups in America at the time. It is very difficult to understand how a terrible group such as the Ku Klux Klan gained so much power. For this reason alone, I have chosen to question the leading theorists on the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920's and what they believed caused the rise in Klan membership. It is very evident that the theorists believed there were three main causes in this significant rise in membership. The post-war feelings of many Americans, the natural aversion to anything foreign, and the propaganda spread by the Klan itself caused their success.

War can have many affects on people and cause serious mixed emotions. The early 1900's can be considered the post-war era. This era was a time of reflection on the evils of war that carried a frightened national feeling, as well as a sense of hate. Dr. John Moffatt Mecklin, one of the leading theorists on the Klan in the 1920's, tells us that "The Klan owes its marvelous growth to post war co...

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...in now way do I agree or support the Ku Klux Klan, however, do feel that this group has made a rather large impact on our society as well as our history. The only admirable aspect of the Klan is the hard work they continuously did through obstacles to achieve what they wanted. The Klan was a success, but a failure in the end. The Klan was a product of its time and as time passed, so did the Klan..

Works Cited

Alexander, Charles. The Ku Klux Klan In The Southwest. University Of Kentucky Press: Kentucky, 1925.

Goldberg, David. Disconnected America: The U.S. In The 1920. John’s Hopkin’s University: Baltimore Md, 1999.

"The Ku Klux Klan." Encyclopedia Britanica. 1990 ed.

Mecklin, John. The Ku Klux Klan: A Study of The American Mind. Russell & Russel: New York, 1923.

Jackson, Kenneth. The Ku Klux Klan In The City. Oxford University Press: New York, 1957.

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