Terror Is Born, the KKK Begins
By: Allyson Packer
While they claimed their
secret lodge was meant only for social gatherings following the Civil War, the
ex-Confederate soldiers of Pulaski, Tennessee, soon allowed their hatred to
give rise to the Invisible Empire, the notorious Ku Klux Klan. The Klan’s activities, which at first were
intended only as something to do on long winter nights of 1866 quickly came to
reflect the bitter feelings of losing the war. Historians still dispute whether or not racism was the true
intention when it was founded, but after the group began to spread, the
intention of scaring and hurting blacks and other Union supporters was clear.
Spreading like wildfire in the former Confederacy, burning crosses lit the
night sky throughout the South.
In the beginning there were just a few
retired soldiers as members. 
Included in this group
was Nathan Bedford Forrest. Born in 1821, he first worked as a farm laborer,
having to support his family at the age of 16 following the death of his father.
He then worked as a landlord and enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861.
He served at Fort Donnellson and was a colonel at Shiloh, where he was wounded.
He also fought as a general in Selma, Alabama. He would later become the first
Grand Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
Racism Spreads
By the next winter, the
KKK had grown immensely, and had become more organized. The first real dens, or
chapters, were being formed throughout the South and border states. This is the
time in which the first real threatening racist events were reported, and when
the first official “uniform” was recognized. The organizations with similar
beliefs, which were before only considered “social clubs” now were beginning to
feel united, and were proud to be identified as the Ku Klux Klan.
In April of 1867, the
first meeting of all of the dens took place in Nashville. A representative from
each den was sent to vote on and discuss issues that the Klan felt was
important. This is also where Forrest
was elected the first Grand Imperial Wizard and others were appointed to lesser
positions. This convention marked a new kind of racism, one that was condoned
by local governments and was not afraid to show itself.
Positions in The KKK
As the Ku Klux Klan
became more organized it was decided that they should elect positions to run
their organization. Keeping with their
original traditions, they gave the different jobs unique, and somewhat
frightening names.
Grand Imperial Wizard- this is the leader of
all KKK dens across the country. He is assisted by 10 “Genii,” and has been
described as “autocratic.”
Grand Magi- He serves as a sort of “vice-president” to
the organization and can act as deputy wizard.
Grand Scribe-This person serves as secretary of the Klan
and takes detailed accounts of the meetings.
Grand Dragon of the Realm- He presides over his
assigned state or “realm” with eight “Hydras” to assist him.
Grand Titan of the Dominion-The Grand Titan governs
a Dominion, or several counties in a state, and is assisted by six “Furies.”
Grand Giant of the Province- He ran each “Province,”
which was a County, and had 4 “Night Hawks”(messengers) as assistants.
Grand Cyclops- The Grand Cyclops ran an individual Den,
and was assisted by 2 Night Hawks.
Lictors- These were the guards for the Den meetings.
Ghouls-This name refers all members.
Symbolism
From the day it was founded, symbolism
played an important role in the identification of the Ku Klux Klan. Even their
name was carefully chosen because of what it represented. It was derived from
the Greek word “kuklos” or “kyklos,” meaning “circle,” and from the English
word clan, meaning “brotherhood.” Their unusual name seemed to fit perfectly
their belief in white supremacist brotherhood.
The official uniform of the KKK was also created with
symbolism in mind. The general look of the uniform was made to resemble the
slave patrolmen from the days before the war. These patrolmen rode through the
country looking for escaped slaves; the KKK used this look to frighten blacks.
The
robe itself, normally made out of old linen sheets, was used to symbolize
ghosts of Confederate soldiers. They used this when they rode up to black
houses at night and told them that they “needed a drink because they hadn’t had
one since they died on the battlefields.”
Many Klansmen also draped their horses in sheets, making them look
like “ghost horses.”
Some
dens even added red to their costumes. They would wind red thread around the
seams, especially the mouth and eyes. Some say that it was to scare blacks into
thinking they were “blood thirsty” ghosts. They also sometimes made horns
wrapped in red that they could attach to their pointed hoods.
Ku Klux Klan Beliefs
Many
of the odd beliefs of Klan members originated with their mission of
counter-Reconstruction. At this time the United States government was on a
mission to rejoin the northern and southern parts of its country. Since
Congress had a Republican majority at the time, laws were passed to help
blacks, including 
the 14th
Amendment. Congress also refused to pay back Confederate war debts and to
compensate former slave owners for their losses. The Reconstruction Act
however, had the most impact. It set up local governments and divided the 10
states (Tennessee not included, because they had already ratified the 14th
Amendment) into five military districts.
A military commander, who ran each district, saw that the states set up
new constitutions allowing voting rights for all males.
During all of this, the KKK did have some perks. Andrew
Johnson was sympathetic toward the Confederates, and this allowed them to set
up local governments as they wanted. Because of this, the Ku Klux Klan was able
to have some of its members in local offices, making some of their beliefs put
into the laws. In essence, they created an “invisible government” within
Southern politics. Many communities tried to pass laws putting blacks in
“almost-slavery situations,” which meant they could only get unpaid or low
paying jobs that were generally undesirable. This was especially common in
Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia. Having Klan members in local offices
also made it easy for corruption, keeping most blacks from voting. Also, it was
almost impossible for blacks to hold a public office without KKK interference,
even if they did somehow manage to get elected.
Members
of the KKK believed that blacks didn’t deserve rights and that they were a main
cause for all the white man’s trouble. They especially targeted black
schoolteachers or even white teachers who taught black students. The Klan’s
targeting of teachers became a major problem, especially in South Carolina,
where certain teachers were threatened and almost killed. Black churches were
also a favorite target and were often burned at night, since the Klan believed 
that blacks did not
deserve a place of worship. Often, the Ku Klux Klan would ride up at night in
full view to set fire to the structures, and no law enforcement would
interfere. The worst though, were the mobbing and lynching of innocent people
who the Klan thought got in their way. This problem was not region specific,
but was a rotting cancer affecting every Southern state.
Aside
from blacks, black sympathizing Republicans were the Ku Klux Klan’s other main
target. Because almost all Klan members were strong Democrats, they tried to
keep the very few southern Republicans from voting. They were often targeted by
the violent attacks from the KKK. Republicans who came south after the war as
part of reconstruction were also victimized, especially if they hired blacks to
work for them. People who hired blacks were an especially strong target. The
local KKK would pay them a visit telling they should fire the blacks that
worked for them, or else be the victim of a violent attack. It was generally 
believed in the Ku Klux
Klan that all money should be kept within the white race, in hope that they
could choke out blacks altogether. The KKK believed that Republicans,
especially those who helped blacks, were the cause for trouble and had to pay
by being killed off.
Incidents Relating to the Ku Klux Klan
1866- Bloody race riots develop in Memphis, New
Orleans, and a few other southern cities.
This was a violent protest organized by blacks, protesting the white
race in general, especially the KKK. Many people were killed, 34 blacks in New
Orleans alone.
1868- Arkansas KKK members kill congressman James M.
Hinds, and possibly up to 300 other Republicans as well. Hinds was not the
first congressman to be killed, Republican congressmen were a common Klan
target.
1869- Klan members break into the Alabama home of
activist George S. Houston and wound his son. He was targeted because of his
work helping blacks register to vote, and he helped organize the Union League.
Although his life was threatened, he survived but had to flee the country. His
assailants were never even investigated.
1869- Klansmen in Kinston, North Carolina take four
blacks from the jail, and murder them. They went on to kill the republican
sheriff of Jones County, and a Republican leader from the North.
1870- KKK members in
Yanceyville, North Carolina lure senator John W. Stephens into the courthouse
basement where they stab him to death. They had planned to sneak his body out
of the building, but a few blacks that noticed he was gone waited outside until
authorities discovered his body.
1871- Ku Klux Klan members in York County, South
Carolina, terrorized ex-slave, preacher, and educator Elias Hill, beating him
and dragging him from his home. On a later date they came back to his home and
accused him of criminal acts. They whipped him until he was unconscious and
then went to his neighbors to whip the men and rape the women. Afterwards, they
burned both cabins.
1874- in Augusta, Georgia, Klansmen targeted local
government and citizens. First, they mobbed a black man and stabbed another for
no apparent reason. Then there were reports of KKK members dragging a black
prisoner from his cell and shooting him repeatedly for “target practice.” As
the violence escalated, a white police officer and suspected Klan member shoved
a pregnant black woman to the ground although she had committed no offense,
while other members tried to assassinate an officer in Augusta’s black military
company.
The Fall of an Empire
The
fire that was the Ku Klux Klan had started out as just a tiny spark in Pulaski
Tennessee. Soon it blazed across the war-torn South throughout the late 1860’s,
but by 1872, the previously raging fire of hate was just a few smoldering
embers. The organization had come under increasing criticism from the Congress
and the Reconstruction government, and proposals about controlling the KKK were
already being made in Washington. Then, in 1869, Forrest said he officially
disbanded the Klan, though it is widely believed that he probably only did it
to escape punishment for the heinous crimes committed by the out-of-control
KKK. However, the violence didn’t stop, as individual dens took matters into
their own hands.
In
1871, Congress finally passed harsh laws against the Ku Klux Klan eliminating
night riding among other things. This caused the arrest of many KKK members
although most escaped punishment. These new laws basically choked out the
remaining dens. A few years later, Southerners took back control of their own
government, and the need for the KKK was extinguished. Since the Southerners
had taken away most of the rights blacks had gotten during Reconstruction,
there were virtually no black politicians to interfere. The hooves of white
clad horses that once thundered across the South had been silenced, although
the angry voices of hatred had not.