KU KLUX KLAN: HISTORY, FIRST KLAN, SECOND, THIRD - HISTORY - 2025

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a clandestine organization that emerged in the late 19th century with the aim of terrorizing people of color and, later, Catholics and Jews. From the beginning, this clan aimed to spread the superiority of white men whose ideals were conservative.

By focusing his speech on the supremacy of whites and those with radical thoughts, he also expanded homophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Catholicism and anti-communism. His project was linked to violence, hatred and terror, which showed that the members of the Ku Klux Klan were from the extreme right.

The Ku Klux Klan's main purpose was to advocate for the superiority of the white race. Source: National Photo Company Collection

In addition, the founders of the organization called themselves "servants of God", stating that they acted under the precepts of divinity who sought the purification of humanity. For this reason, as a method of intimidation, they placed cremated crosses near the properties of the individuals whom they intended to terrorize or even murder.

The principles of the clan were to oppose the "black element", both politically and socially; fight for the power of the colorless men of the southern United States, since only they should have the right to vote; and finally, destabilize the liberal government system. Following this, the Ku Klux Klan achieved broad ideological and territorial dominance.

This was due to the fact that the organization intervened in justice, morality and local administration; This event led to the rapid expansion of the group to include the regions of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri. In turn, it allowed the club to have various stages, which years later inspired Adolf Hitler's ideas on the development of the Aryan race.

Symbol and slogan

Like most secret sects, the Ku Klux Klan had an emblem that represented the organization. At first it was only a sign that allowed recognition among the members of the group; later it became an image that designated the movement as a terrorist institution.

The symbol consisted of an isosceles triangle one and a half meters high, while its lower part was one hundred centimeters wide. The background was yellow and had a red border of seven inches and a half of latitude in which a dragon was flying highlighted in black.

The dragon not only personified the head of the clan, but was the allegory of the wisdom and power that he possessed as a guardian. Along the emblem was the following motto: “Quid Semper. Quid Locate. Quid ab Omnibus ”, whose translation is“ Forever, for the world and for all men ”.

History and creation

It is considered that the organization had its origin in December 1865 in Pulaski (a commercial town located in Giles County, in the United States), founded by a group of soldiers who decided to create a club with the aim of making their lives more entertaining.; that is to say, they tried to materialize their fantasies.

After presenting their ideas, these soldiers chose to hold another meeting in the office of Judge Thomas Jones, where they elected a president and a secretary.

Similarly, a role was established for each member of the committee. Thus, the main purpose was to develop the rules, the ritual and the name of the society.

However, this secret community did not emerge from one moment to the next, as it took the Civil War and the abolition of slavery in North America for the organization to emanate. The crisis of 29 and World War II were also necessary for the radical movement to have its transcendence and decline.

Name's origin

Richard Reed, one of the founders of the club who knew Greek, suggested the ending kuklos, which means band or circle. Instead, John Kennedy proposed the concept of "clan", which they related to their ancestors since all the founders had Irish or Scottish ancestry.

However, they chose to split the term kuklos into two words: "ku" and "klos". Then they changed the vowel "o" to "u" and the final "s" to the consonant "x", leaving the word "klux".

As for the phoneme "c" of "clan", they altered it by a "k" so that its sound was stronger. In this way they forged a new name, the Ku Klux Klan, which conformed to their particular and racial ideals.

Civil War (1861-1865)

This warlike conflict, also known as the Civil War, began in April 1861 when troops from the Confederate States of America attacked South Carolina. There the nationalists swore allegiance to the Constitution and stood up to those who respected and defended the rights of the oppressed.

The Civil War was the result of two fundamental events. The first was due to the territorial struggle for the abolition of slavery, since the southern states were opposed while those of the north were in favor of signing the emancipation letter.

The second event was that the US president wanted to assume a power that did not correspond to him.

Both events led to the dissolution of the Confederate nations, as seven slave communities in the south had declared their independence. Said promulgation was not recognized nationally or internationally, since only France and the United Kingdom accepted it; in 1865 those regions still belonged to the North American country.

Despite the fact that the Union army won the war and power was left in the hands of a federal government, out of the struggle an era was born in which the concept of slavery was not legally allowed and where all the inhabitants, regardless of the color of their skin, they could participate in political, academic and economic society.

Abolition of slavery (1863-1865)

This doctrine, decreed in the mid-1830s, was one of the catalysts for the Civil War. Abolitionism, although at first it was an omitted ideal, annulled the precepts that violated the ethical and moral principles of the subjugated.

This movement was born in the northern United States and had its peak in 1831, when the New England Anti-Slavery Society was founded. Beginning in 1789, most Maryland landowners had signed the documents granting their servants their freedom. Even so, many bourgeoisie refused to comply with this precept.

This was because some inhabitants were in favor of granting their workers some free will, but only in order to favor a policy of gradual liberation. However, that vision was confronted with that of the radical revokers, who sought the absolute autonomy of the slaves.

In this way, years later, the role of abolitionism was essential in the Civil War, so much so that in 1863 Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation, a doctrine that came into force at the end of 1865.

The enactment of this law not only allowed the independence of men of color, but also increased the contempt and racism towards them in the United States. Later, these elements were the basis of the Ku Klux Klan organization.

Great Depression (1929)

The Great Depression (or crisis of 29) represented the greatest economic decline of the 20th century. This phenomenon arose in North America from the decline in the stock market that occurred on Tuesday, October 29, 1929, generating great insecurity, lack of supplies and expansion of epidemics in the world.

Among its effects was the loss of national income, since international trade fell between 50 and 66%; This caused the increase in unemployment, because several industries stopped working.

Likewise, agriculture dissipated its profits up to 60%, with the country having to depend on the primary sector, which was also in ruin.

This event was a pillar for the members of the Ku Klux Klan, who used the ruin of the country as a means to encourage resentment not only towards individuals with dark complexions but also towards Jews and Catholics, which according to the organization's committee, they were responsible for the devastation of the nation because of their beliefs and their body color.

World War II (1939-1945)

This military conflict was characterized as the most damaging in the history of mankind. The war was not only aimed at the supremacy of the Aryan race, but the fight for territorial dominion. To accomplish their goal, Hitler's allies and the Axis powers resorted to various methods of torture and destruction.

Among those means were the holocaust, the use of nuclear weapons and the mass death of civilians. Such actions caused the descent of the Reich and some of its followers, but one of its consequences was the formation of new groups that called themselves neo-Nazis. Among his supporters were members of the Third Klan.

The first Klan

The first Klan emerged eight months after the civil conflict, specifically on October 24, 1865, and continued to exist until the early 1900s.

This organization was founded by six war veterans who challenged the ethics and politics of Pulaski, their hometown. At that time Tennessee had people of color in its government and in schools.

Due to this, these soldiers created a society with a democratic and humorous purpose. Its main function was to scare the inhabitants of the county who had dark skin, as well as to perform rituals that would make them known throughout the territory.

The activities of this movement expanded rapidly, causing the incorporation of new members to society, especially those who longed for the return of the conservative past.

This is how the Klan began to establish a reign of terror where they attacked not only black people, but also white people who supported the government, immigrants, and Republican leaders. In April 1867, at their first national meeting at Maxwell House-Nashville, the members had their own clothing, precepts book, and skills.

-Founders

The main members of the Klan were not opposed to Catholicism, as it was the religion they professed. In the same way, they belonged to the upper or middle class and during the war they held the position of colonels. The representatives of the organization were:

- John Lester.

- John Kennedy.

- James Crowe.

- Frank McCord.

- Richard Reed.

- Calvin Jones.

-Costume

Once the Klan was institutionalized, the uniform that the members would wear on the days when they used their intimidation techniques was selected. The goal was that none were recognized, so they transformed their voices and changed their horses on each excursion.

In addition, white sheets were placed that covered their bodies. With the covers, which were the same color, they made hoods with three holes: two for the eyes and one for the nose.

The costume was fitted with a red ribbon and provided a sense of mystery and unreality. In this way, with a ghostly appearance, the night rides began.

-Practices

One of the techniques used by the organization in order to horrify the population was to stop in front of a home, stating that they came from the Battle of Silóh that occurred in 1812. The inhabitants of the town used to be superstitious and thought they were facing a ghost, who requested several glasses of water until he was able to quench his thirst.

In order not to be discovered, the members of the Klan placed a tube inside their clothing that was accompanied by a rubber bag, which allowed them to pretend to drink incessantly or to be overwhelmed. Another of the practices they used was to pretend to be three meters tall.

However, these tricks were less effective over time, which is why they resorted to more drastic means that, later, turned them into a terrorist gang.

-Radical methods

Starting in 1866, the Klan invaded the houses and churches of the African-American community to steal the weapons that the citizens had. The purpose was to deprive individuals who had participated in the Civil War of their belongings so that they would no longer represent a threat.

In 1868 the Ku Klux Klan sought social control and intervened in the academic, economic, and electoral activities of the southern population, but they resisted. That event led to the deaths of 150 people of color in Florida.

The organization also attacked teachers, refugees and members of the Union Leagues. In order to carry out their projects, the Klan committee often had to hire men who were not part of the society in order to hide the true identity of the leaders.

-Criteria and terminology

For the Klan to achieve positive results it was necessary to establish a set of rules.

For this reason they created a book of precepts whose mission was to be the new Constitution of North America, since it focused on the governmental organization that the country should have: it indicated hierarchies, judicial bodies, financing codes and citizen discipline.

This document was written by attorney and Klan member George Gordon. The principles were to preserve the law, maintain peace, order and justice, and overshadow the darkness that hung over the world. The file also contained the duties and rights of the club's participants, but the essential factor was not to reveal the existence of the group.

That is why they established a lexicon that focused on Norse and Greek mythology. Among the terms they used are the following.

Ghouls

Members.

Realm

State.

Den

Groups

Grand wizard

Leader of the empire.

Hydres

Counselors.

Grand cyclops

Head of a local unit.

Grand exchequer

Treasurer.

Night hawks

Officers.

Grand turk

Communicator.

Furies

Advisors.

Grand scribe

Writer.

The second Klan

The second Klan emerged in 1915 and focused on the ideals of the first organization, promising to rescue the oppressed and protect the unfortunate; but unlike the initial club, this community was more rigorous, since it attacked African Americans, Jews and Catholics.

In order to establish some distinction with the previous movement, the members of the new Klan decided to wear black robes instead of white ones. In addition, they eliminated the role of the main leader, since they considered that the power should not be held by just one person.

This club was founded for two reasons. The first was the premiere of the film The Birth of a Nation (1915) by David Griffith, where the first Ku Klux Klan was mythologized. In this film, the members of the organization were given glory and it was stated that racism and violence were the correct means to achieve social good.

The other motive was the attack against the Jew Leo Frank, who had been accused of abusing and murdering Mary Phagan, a 14-year-old girl who worked in his factory. Due to this event, the first association was born, which was called The Knights of Mary Phagan.

characteristics

This society had members from all over the country because not only did white men of the middle or upper class enter, but all those who were anti-republican, anti-communist and sympathized with Nazi ideas. However, most of its members (still today) are unknown.

The Klan was characterized by posting messages and distributing pamphlets with the purpose of warning Jews and African Americans to revere the supremacy of the white race, since they had allowed them to live in their country. On the other hand, the members of the club assassinated several black soldiers returning from World War II.

In addition, they managed to nullify the rights of people with dark complexions. These rights were restored in the mid-20th century largely thanks to the struggle of Martin Luther King.

The third Klan

In the course of the 1950s, after the decline of the second Klan, various organizations emerged that claimed to be the new Ku Klux Klan, but that did not last long due to social restrictions against terrorist groups and the few members they had.

The truth was that the members of these movements opposed civil rights, to such an extent that they assassinated several Catholics who demonstrated in defense of equality, and they also burned countless crosses in indigenous territories. Among these organizations, the following stood out:

- The Knights of the White Camellia.

- Imperial clan of the United States.

- Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

It should be emphasized that the origin, members and exact acts of these clans are unknown. However, historians argue that they still exist, especially the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, who called themselves "the society of the sixth age."

Decline and prohibition

On March 2, 1867, the United States government passed a law that prohibited the formation of violent groups that affected the tranquility of citizens and the well-being of society.

However, due to the massive attacks taking place, four years later another doctrine of reconstruction was issued, which was drafted by Benjamin Franklin.

The function of these codes was to combat the Ku Klux Klan, a society that ignored the orders of the State. Then came the dissolution of the first organization, which began in 1869 when Nathan Forrest (who was leader) decided to retire from the club because the original principles had been dispersed and there were no longer any patriotic motives to fight for.

In this way, the founders and chiefs were leaving the Klan and it slowly dispersed thanks to the inexperience and gloomy administration of the new members.

As for the decline of the other organizations, this was produced by the rapid reaction of the North American inhabitants, who were not willing to relive past experiences.

Currently, not only the government but the people of the United States are struggling to stop radical ideals and extremist groups. That is why there have been numerous events related to the subject, which aim to show the public the true meaning of words such as respect, nation and equality.

References

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2. Cohen, J. (2017). White supremacism. Retrieved on June 11, 2019 from the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies: ieee.es
3. De la Torre, I. (2015). The origins of the Ku-Klux-Klan. Retrieved on June 10, 2019 from the National Academy of History: archive.org.ve
4. Grunstein, A. (2005). Segregation and discrimination. Retrieved on June 10, 2019 from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana: redalyc.org
5. Moreno, D. (2008). Violence and Racism: Ku Klux Klan. Retrieved on June 11, 2019 from Historia Magazine: historia.es
6. McElreath, D. (2010). The Ku Klux Klan: evolution towards revolution. Retrieved on June 10, 2019 from University of Mississippi: olemiss.edu