Nativism →
Ku Klux Klan
na⋅tiv⋅ism [ney-ti-viz-uh m]
1. the policy of protecting the interests of
native inhabitants against those of
immigrants.*
In the 1920s after the Great War in Europe had ended, thousands of
devastated Europeans were looking for refuge. They quickly fled to the America,
“the land of opportunity,” hoping to start new lives. However, the natives were
unhappy with these new immigrants and from this, nativism resurfaced.
Americans had returned to the belief of isolationism and wanted nothing to do
with foreign nations at this time. Many hate groups formed and legal action
occurred because of this, targeting Jews, Catholics, and other foreigners within
the country. One of these was the Ku Klux Klan.
* www.dictionary.com
THE KU KLUX KLANbackground knowledge
Established in Pulaski, TN in May of 1886
► Initially, their main goal was to stop blacks
from voting
► Eventually died out due to majority of the
white population
► Resurfaced in 1915, NAACP was then
formed in retaliation
►
KU KLUX KLAN
► brought about by postwar
reaction and nativism
► Antiforeign, anti-Catholic,
antiblack, anti-Jewish,
anti-internationalist, antirevolutionist…
► Pro-Anglo-Saxon, pro”native” American, and
pro-Protestant
► Against any diversity and
modernity
KU KLUX KLAN
►
►
►
Nov. 1922- Hiram Evans becomes Imperial Wizard, under his
leadership political KKK leaders spread to Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana,
Oregon, and Maine
spread with rapidity in the Midwest in “Bible Belt” states, by the
mid 1920’s it contained 5,000,000 members
Went on “konclaves” and
huge flag waving parades
Induction ceremony, symbol: blazing cross
KU KLUX KLAN
► In the late 1920s, Americans realized the intensity and
intolerance this group possessed
► An investigation by Congress was issued to inspect the
KKK for embezzlement and other crimes
► KKK leader, David Stephenson was arrested for 2nd degree
murder which caused the number of members to drop to
30,000, from there the group began to fizzle out
► didn’t start up again until after the Civil Rights Movement
in the 1950s