The Ku Klux Klan: Terror in the South (Part 2)
The Rest Is History Podcast Recap
Published:
What Happened
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was formed in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866 as a social club for Confederate veterans. It quickly transformed into a violent vigilante group targeting African Americans, spreading across the South with support from Democratic newspapers and attracting members from various social classes. Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Confederate general, emerged as the Klan's figurehead, leading the organization at its peak with around 150,000 members.
During the 1868 presidential election, the Klan used violence and intimidation to suppress black voting in the South, aiming to aid Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour, who ran on a platform of white supremacy. Despite the violence, Republican candidate Ulysses S. Grant won the election, though the popular vote was close. The Klan's actions were calculated to destroy the Republican party's infrastructure and restore racial subordination.
In Georgia, the Freedmen's Bureau reported numerous incidents of violence, including 31 killings, ahead of the election. In Louisiana, the Knights of the White Camellia, a paramilitary group, killed at least 200 black people in Landry Parish, illustrating the extent of racial violence. Despite Grant's victory, the Klan's intimidation tactics proved effective, especially in areas like Louisiana where Grant received minimal support.
Post-election, the Klan continued its violent campaign, targeting individuals like Abraham Colby, who was attacked for his political stance. The Klan's actions were not random but served the interests of the Democratic Party, aiming to undermine the political power of African Americans and Republicans. In York County, South Carolina, nearly every white man joined the Klan, making it a stronghold of Klan activity.
Ulysses S. Grant responded to the violence by sending federal troops to South Carolina in 1871, suspending habeas corpus and making mass arrests, effectively ending Klan violence in York County. The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 made it a federal offense to conspire to deny political rights, allowing the president to use troops against the Klan. However, most arrested Klansmen were not prosecuted, and many were pardoned.
By the late 1871, the Klan had ceased to exist but had already achieved its goals, such as helping Democrats regain control in states like Georgia and Alabama. The Klan's actions eroded Northern political will to sustain military occupation in the South, as interest in Southern issues waned by 1872. Financial crises and Supreme Court decisions further weakened the enforcement of Reconstruction laws.
Successor groups to the Klan, like the White League and the Red Shirts, continued violent tactics, culminating in events like the Colfax Massacre in 1873. The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South, allowing Democrats to regain control. By the 1890s, lynching had become almost institutionalized.
The myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy emerged, portraying the South as noble and the Klan as defenders of white civilization. Walter Linwood Fleming published the first historical account of the Klan in 1905, while Thomas Dixon's 'The Klansman' romanticized the Klan's role, leading to the film 'The Birth of a Nation' by DW Griffith, which spurred the Klan's rebirth with millions of members by the mid-1920s.
Key Insights
- The Ku Klux Klan, founded in 1866, rapidly evolved from a social club into a violent vigilante group with around 150,000 members at its peak, heavily influencing Southern politics.
- During the 1868 presidential election, the Klan utilized violence and intimidation to suppress black voting, aiding Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour, though Ulysses S. Grant ultimately won.
- Federal intervention, including the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, temporarily curtailed Klan violence, but most arrested members were not prosecuted, and successor groups continued similar tactics.
- The myth of the Lost Cause and cultural works like 'The Birth of a Nation' romanticized the Klan, leading to its resurgence in the 20th century with millions of members.