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Ku Klux Klan History for kids: Differences between the North and the South
To understand the emergence of the original Ku Klux Klan and its
history it is necessary to understand the differences between the
North and the South. Why were the Americans who lived in the South
so different from the Americans who lived in the North? The
differences between the North and the South
were dictated by
the geographic and climatic differences that produced different raw materials that led
to either agrarian (farming communities) in the South or the
industrialized city dwellers in the North. These led to differences
in: ● The Economy: There were different commercial interests in the North and South
● Slavery: The economy of the South was based
on the cash crop plantation system which depended on the institution of slavery
but the economy in the North was based on industry and manufacturing and was not
reliant on slaves
● Growth: The industrial North took a rapid entrepreneurial path,
but there was a much slower rate of growth in the
South
● Social
Status - Slavery fostered an elite, feudal society in south with
social status taking precedence over making money
● Culture Clash: The rural farm life in the
South as opposed to the city life in the North led to completely different
lifestyles
Ku Klux Klan History for kids: The Civil War and Slavery
To understand the emergence of the original Ku Klux Klan, and its
history, it is also necessary to understand why Americans took up
arms against fellow Americans during the Civil War.
The
reason the Civil War erupted was primarily due States Rights. The inauguration of
Republican President Abraham Lincoln, on March 4, 1861, contributed to the
Secession of the South
and the establishment of the
Confederate States of
America. During his first inaugural address the President
declared he had "no purpose ... to interfere with the institution of
slavery in the states where it exists." This changed on January 1,
1863 with the
Emancipation Proclamation and the war to preserve the
Union became a revolutionary struggle for the
abolition of slavery.
Ku Klux Klan History for kids: The South after the Civil War
The Ku Klux Klan History
starts with the situation in the South following the bitter Civil
War. The
Southern States were devastated. The defeated white people were
humiliated, the land was wrecked, the infrastructure including the
railroads and bridges had been destroyed, Confederate officers had
been stripped of power, lands were confiscated and property values
had collapsed. The farming system of the South based on the
Plantation system worked by black slaves was finished and there was
a lack of laborers for their fields. The economy of the south had
disintegrated. Political power of the state governments in the South
was held by Republicans. The South feared that the North wanted
revenge and would inflict a terrible retribution on the former
Confederate States of America. The
Black
Codes were established and the Ku Klux Klan was formed. By 1868
most of the Black Codes were repealed and new state laws were passed
that saw the emergence of the
Carpetbaggers and the
Scalawags.
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Ku Klux Klan
in
Washington 1920's
Ku Klux Klan History for kids
Facts about the Ku Klux Klan History are as follows:
●
First Ku Klux Klan 1865-1870's - 550,000 KKK members
●
Second Ku Klux Klan 1915-1944 - 3 - 6 Million KKK members
●
Third Ku Klux Klan 1946-present - 5,000 - 8,000 KKK members
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Ku Klux Klan History: Terror of the Ku Klux Klan
As the power of the Ku Klux Klan grew the secret society
developed into sinister and dangerous terrorist
organization posing a dangerous threat to civil
liberties. The Ku Klux Klan gained political power by
functioning as the unofficial paramilitary arm of
Southern segregationist governments allowing Ku Klux
Klan members to commit terrible crimes with impunity.
The
1920's Ku Klux Klan
re-emerged
following WW1 during the
Red Scare and again in the 1960's in opposition to
the Civil Rights movement. The Ku Klux Klan was
responsible for many acts of extreme violence and terror
against African-Americans including lynching, murder,
arson, whippings, rape, and bombing. The Ku Klux Klan
also acted to drive the Carpetbaggers and Scalawags out.
Facts about the
Ku Klux Klan History for kids
Interesting facts about the Ku Klux Klan History are
detailed below. The history of the Ku Klux Klan is told in a
factual timeline sequence consisting of a series of interesting, short facts
providing a simple method of relating the
history of the Ku Klux Klan for kids, schools and homework projects.
Ku Klux Klan
History
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 1: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee on December 24, 1865
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 2: The Ku Klux Klan
(KKK) is known by
other names including the White Brotherhood, Heroes of
America, Constitutional Union Guards and the Invisible
Empire.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 3: It was originally
founded as a social club for former Confederate soldiers
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 4: The first two words
of the organization's name originated from from the
Greek word 'kuklos' meaning "circle" and took the third
word is a variant of the word clan.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 5: In April 1867 a
meeting was held to codify rules and the organizational
structure of the KKK
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 6: At the meeting,
former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was
elected supreme leader of all the KKK and given the
title of Imperial Wizard
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 7: As it was a secret
organization codes were developed for use of KKK
members. The codes included:
● A.Y.A.K. or
Ayak meaning "Are you a Klansmen?"
● A.K.I.A. or
Akia meaning "A Klansmen I am"
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 8: The whole Ku Klux
Klan (KKK)
organization was referred to as the Empire which was
organized into divisions called Realms, Dominions,
Provinces and Dens. High ranking members of the KKK were
given titles taken from terrifying mythical creatures in
Greek Mythology
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 9: A hierarchy was
established in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) starting with the Empire headed
by the Grand Wizard who was supported by ten Genii, a
Grand Exchequer and a Scribe
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 10: The Realms were
headed by a Grand Dragon assisted by eight Hydras
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 11: The Dominions were
ruled by the Great Titan assisted by six Furies
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 12: The Provinces were
ruled by the Grand Giant assisted by four Goblins
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 13: The Dens were ruled
by the Grand Cyclops, who appointed two Nighthawks, a
Grand Turk, a Grand Sentinel and a Grand Ensign
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 14: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members who
undertook action against their enemies were referred to
as a Wrecking Crew
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 15: The goals of the
original Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was to organize white southern resistance
to the Republican Party’s Reconstruction-era policies
which were aimed at establishing political and economic
equality for blacks
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 16: The targets of the
KKK included African-Americans and teachers, judges,
politicians and "carpetbaggers" from the North
together with "Scalawags" from the South
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 17: The first KKK had
adopted a hooded white costume, called a "Glory Suit"
supposed to represent the ghosts of the Confederate
dead. The KKK costume allowed members to avoid
identification and to frighten victims during nighttime
raids.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 18: The vast membership
of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) consisted of men who had once been
Confederate soldiers, battle-hardened and bitter men who
had increased in number to several hundred thousand and
the violence increased and the atrocities worsened
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 19: The members of the
KKK had become impossible to control and a disgusted
Nathan Bedford Forrest attempted to disband the original
KKK in 1869. Many of the more honorable members left the KKK but the Klan continued and the violence escalated
further.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 20: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was
particularly effective in keeping black men away from
the polls, so that the ex-Confederates gained political
control in many states.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 21: In 1870 the federal
government stepped in to investigate the activities of
the KKK
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 22: Congress then passed
the 1871 Enforcement Acts, also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1871
and often referred to as the Ku
Klux Klan Act
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 23: The
Enforcement Acts
of 1870/1871 (including the Ku Klux Klan Act)
● Made
night-riding a crime
● Empowered the
president to use federal troops to put down
conspirators by force
● Provided
criminal and civil penalties for people convicted of
conspiracies with the intention of denying others
their civil rights
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 24: Prosecution of Klan
crimes suppressed KKK activity and hundreds were
indicted, fined, and imprisoned leading to the decline
of the first KKK
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 25: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) experienced a
resurgence after World War I which spanned from
1915-1944
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 26: The resurgence was
sparked by Thomas Dixon's 1905 novel 'The Clansman'
which led David W. Griffith to make the movie 'The Birth
of a Nation' in 1915.
The movie portrayed the members of
the KKK as a gallant and heroic band.
The movie brought strong protests
from the NAACP and riots broke out in Boston and
Philadelphia.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 27: William J. Simmons,
an ex-minister, renewed the second KKK at a Stone
Mountain, Georgia in a ceremony held in 1915. The Klan's
role was portrayed as the protector of traditional
values. The organization, the Second KKK attracted
millions of new members.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 28: Cross burning: In the
first reconstruction Ku Klux Klan (KKK) the Klans did not burn crosses.
The concept of cross burning was introduced in the 'The
Clansman' by Thomas Dixon, Jr.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 29: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) costume, or
"Glory Suit" developed over the years starting with a
basic white robe made from a bed sheet accompanied by a
sack worn over the head with eyeholes cut into it. The
KKK costume is now recognized as a a floor-length, white
robe (often bearing an insignia with a cross) and a
tall, white, pointed hat that includes a full-faced
cloth mask with eyeholes
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 30: Although the Ku Klux
Klan (KKK)
traditionally wore white robes in later years color
robes were also adopted indicating rank:
● Imperial
Wizard: Purple or blue costume
● Grand Dragon:
Green robe
● Great Titan:
Red costume
● Cyclops: Gold
colored robe
● Nighthawk
(security): Black robe
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 31: Insignia: The
insignia of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) often include red, round patch with
a white cross in the center, sometimes with a drop of
red blood in the center.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 32: The second Ku Klux
Klan (KKK) with
its massive membership exerted considerable political
influence. The organization attracted support across the
whole of the US, not just the Southern States. The
nation had experienced a terrible depression and the KKK
advocated a strong racist and anti-immigration policy.
The group, strongly supported by Protestants, also
espoused hatred of Jews and Catholics.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 33: The support of the
second Ku Klux Klan (KKK) declined as the violence of its members
increased and by the early 1940's, and with the outbreak
of the Second World War, its membership dropped to less
than 40,000.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 34: After World War 2,
Dr. Samuel Green of Georgia led a concerted attempt to
revive the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), but it failed as the organization
splintered and as state after state barred the order
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 35: The third Ku Klux
Klan (KKK) emerged
in the 1960's and advocated a strong racist and
anti-communist policy. It strongly supported the
opposition to the Civil Rights movement and gained many
new members in the South who were opposed to racial
integration.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 36: The third Ku Klux
Klan (KKK) often
forged alliances with Southern police departments and
with governor's offices and were again allowed to
operate with impunity.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 37:
Jim Crow Laws: The
Jim Crow Laws imposed segregation in the South
prohibiting businesses from employing African-Americans,
and barring access to public places such as restaurants,
hotels and public restrooms. Jim Crow legislation was
officially instituted by the southern states shortly
after the Emancipation Proclamation and these laws came
under threat with the Civil Rights Movement of the
1960s.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 38: The most famous of
the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) organizations in the 1960's were the
Mississippi's White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan led by
Samuel Bowers and Robert Shelton.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 39: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were
responsible for attacks on civil-rights workers in
cities throughout the South in the 1960's during the
Civil Rights Movement
and were responsible for incidents such as the attacks
on the
Freedom Riders.
Ku Klux Klan History
Fact 40: Although there was a
rise of support for David Duke, a Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard in
Louisiana in the 1990's by the end of the 20th century,
growing racial tolerance reduced KKK members to a few
thousand.
Ku Klux Klan
History for kids
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Cartoon depicting the
Ku Klux Klan threat to
Carpetbaggers and
Scalawags
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Ku Klux Klan History for kids - Racial Discrimination and
Segregation
For additional facts
about racial discrimination and segregation refer to
detailed information on
Black Segregation
History
and for brief, fast
facts refer to the
Segregation History Timeline.
Black
History for kids: Important People and Events
For visitors interested in African American History
refer to
Black History -
People and Events.
A useful resource for
teachers, kids, schools and colleges undertaking projects for the
Black History Month.
Ku Klux Klan History for kids - President Andrew Johnson Video
The article on the Ku Klux Klan History provides an overview of
the rise of this secret organization during his presidential term in office. The following
Andrew Johnson video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 17th American President whose presidency spanned from April 15, 1865 to March 4, 1869.
Ku Klux Klan History
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Interesting Facts about Ku Klux Klan History for kids and schools
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Key events
Ku Klux Klan History for kids
●
The Ku Klux Klan History following Reconstruction
●
Andrew Johnson Presidency from April 15, 1865 to March 4, 1869
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Fast, fun, Ku Klux Klan History
about events in his presidency
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Andrew Johnson
● Andrew Johnson Presidency and
Ku Klux Klan History for schools,
homework, kids and children
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