Use of Propaganda to Increase Ku Klux Klan Membership
The human mind interprets thought in a manner unique to their species. Each thought is expressed as an emotion, whether it be jubilation, sadness, anger or hate. The latter of these emotions is what I believe to be the strongest feeling that the human being can experience. In the face of hatred each individual reacts in their own peerless fashion. Some run in fear, while many speak out against such injustice; yet others react in a much different way—they embrace the hate. A prime example of a group of individuals that thrived in such an environment would be the second movement of the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan, reestablished in 1915, was not originally the potent force that they came to be in the middle part of the 1920’s. During the first five years of existence, the Klan only increased by four thousand; but during the next eight years nearly ten million men and women joined the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan. What events transpired that caused such a dramatic increase in Klan membership in such a limited time span? Leading Klan theorists of the 1920’s often pondered this question and it is my intention to examine their findings. Three prominent causes seemed to be found in these findings: the post-war feelings of many Americans, the natural aversion to anything foreign, and the various propaganda spread about and by the Klan.
The natural tendencies of man are to be loyal to ones’ own people, thus having an aversion to all that is foreign. Preying upon this very idea, the Klansmen preached of their hatred for all groups alien to their original American stock. These groups included Catholics, Jews, African Americans, and all immigrants in general. Dr. John Moffat Mecklin, autho...
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...k their way into the heads of the American public. The psychological aspect of the Klan’s propaganda was ingenious because it blanketed the minds of millions of Americans. The Klan’s hatred should be eternally condemned, but their usage of all available tools is to be applauded. Thirty-four men had a vision, and through the usage of various forms of propaganda, ten million made this dream a reality.
Works Cited
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Jackson, Kenneth. The Ku Klux Klan In The City. Oxford University Press: New York, 1957.
On November 9, 1920, Byron de la Beckwith, an only child, was born to Byron De La Beckwith, Sr. and Susie Yerger in Sacramento, California. One of Beckwith’s early childhood memories was of the Ku Klux Klan marching through town, fully clad in their long white robes. During the twenties, there were over two million known members of the Klan and at least two were U.S. Senators. Needless to say, this left quite an impression on the young boy. Beckwith’s father died in 1926, his debts exceeding the value of his estate, leaving Susie and Byron Jr., whom they had nicknamed “Delay”, destitute. Susie left California, along with her son, for her native Greenwood, Mississippi. Beckwith’s mother passed away a few short years later, leaving Beckwith rearing to one of her cousins.
David, Kyvig E. Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939: Decades of Promise and Pain. Westport: Greenwood P, 2002.
The author points out that southern societies did evolve, however, they resented this evolution. Foner uses the example of Southern Unionists to illustrate this point stating that, “In 1865, Southern Unionism, of whatever kind, did not imply a willingness to extend civil and political equality to the freedmen.” (Foner, 87) This resentment continues throughout the book, and shows that while evolution of Southern society happened, it was met with contentment, and individuals hope that things would go back to the way they used to be, hoping for the plantation slave way of life to return. This is most evident when Foner discusses the Ku Klux Klan, stating that “The Klan was a military force serving the interests of the Democratic party, the planter class, and all those who desired the restoration of white supremacy.” (Foner,
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Mistrust between the police and black community in Chicago only lent violence as an answer to their problems, leading to a violent riot. James Baldwin, an essayist working for true civil rights for African-Americans, gives first-hand accounts of how black people were mistreated, and conveys how racial tensions built up antagonism in his essays “Notes of a Native Son,” and “Down at the Cross.” In the mid and late 1910’s, a mass movement of African-Americans from the South to cities in the North took place.... ... middle of paper ... ... 2004 http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/ganghistory/Industrial%20Era/Riotbegins.html.
He states in his manifesto the general frustration of the Nordic whites being uncomfortable with the integration of other races and the liberal organizations being formed who support them. "To understand the Klan, then, it is necessary to understand the character and present mind of the mass of old-stock Americans." (Doc 4) The new immigrants also brought turmoil to the "old-stock Americans" by practicing Catholicism and not conforming to white Protestant methods of traditional living. One cannot be loyal to the white race if they do not match the traditions of America and conforming to Protestantism, "which has been an essential part of Americanism ever since the days of Roanoke and Plymouth Rock." (Doc 4) This was a radical way of protest, another way they described it was eugenics, or selective
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...Court found that the theory of evolution was not a religious topic but a scientific theory. The Supreme Court when on to assert that a school district may govern a teacher’s right to free speech to assure that the teacher does not violate the First Amendment – Establishment Clause.
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