Volume 1, Issue 1
The Second KKK
By Paul Fischer and Jacob Acey
Birmingham, MI
Date 11/25/13
convicted for murder in 1925, the members realized
that they could be punished for their action, and the
second KKK slowly disappeared until it was
disbanded.
The second incarnation of the KKK sparked violent
events. The 16th street Baptist church bombing in
“...Stone Mountain, Georgia,
still had Ku Klux Klan
marches…”
The Second KKK burns crosses.
In 1915, the wildly popular film Birth of a Nation
revived national interest for the Ku Klux Klan or
KKK for short. The KKK was a racist group of
people who wore white robes and hoods. This
group was first founded on an unknown date in
May of 1866 and disbanded on April 20, 1871.
The newly revived KKK was founded by a
preacher named William J Simmons. Birth of a
Nation praised the first KKK for what it did, so
this is just cause for the second incarnation of
the KKK.
The birth of the second KKK in 1915 was the
beginning of many racist acts against people
who weren’t considered “100-percentAmericans.” In 1920, it became more than just a
group against African Americans. It widened its
platform to racist beliefs such as anti-Semitism.
Local groups of the KKK were being quickly
created around the country. It also became part
of the Democratic Party in the 1920s. However,
when one of the main KKK leaders was
1963 was one of these events. It scared countless people who
were not “100-percent-Americans.” Members of the KKK burned
crosses and encouraged racism. Even now, there are splinters
of KKK groups in the United States, such as the Alabama
Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
From burning crosses to murder, the second incarnation of the
KKK is an unfortunate addition to our nation’s history. Their
racist actions can show that hatred of other races and beliefs
can cross “the line” and go on for miles. Even now, there are still
people out there, wearing their KKK robes and hoods and
This timeline shows the KKK from its first
incarnation all the way to it final
disabandment.
terrorizing “non-100-percent-Americans.” Much of this is thanks
to the film Birth of a Nation. For all that they did in America, the
second KKK in 1915 has gone down in history as an
organization that has strangled the nation for years.