The Ku Klux Klan
By Leslie Anderson Morales
In December 1865, six young men living in Pulaski, Tennessee, founded a social
club. College-educated buddies from prominent families, all had served as
Confederate officers. As a name for their group, they settled on kuklos (Greek for
"circle") and added "Klan" for pizzazz. Thus was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) born.
Members wore costumes (a hood and flowing robe of any color) and
communicated via children's whistles as they carried out their nightly pranks and
silly initiation rituals.
As the Klan grew, it took a sinister turn and developed into a terrorist
organization dedicated to white supremacy and violence. By April 1867, General
Nathan Bedford Forrest ruled over groups called the Grand Dragons, Titans,
Giants, and Cyclops. While the Klan's leadership included wealthy landowners and
businessmen, most members were poor whites. Law enforcement officials,
sheriffs, and judges either joined or did not intervene.
The KKK's goal was to keep black people "in their place." Members targeted black
farmers, businessmen, politicians, and their relatives. They burned farms, stores,
churches, and meeting halls. They harassed and assaulted schoolteachers and
even attacked black children going to school. In addition to brutality, the KKK
spread rumors, denied bank loans, and withheld jobs. Some Southern newspapers
applauded their activities. But, thousands of African Americans were murdered or
wounded.
The KKK was not the only such organization. Others that emerged during
Reconstruction included Louisiana's Knights of the White Camellia, the Knights of
the Rising Sun in Texas, Mississippi's White Line, the Pale Faces, and the White
Brotherhood.
People in the white supremacy movement believe that whites are superior to all
other races and/or ethnicities.
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permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.Source: Footsteps, Sep/Oct2004, Vol. 6 Issue 4, p29, 1p
Item: 14356717
Ku Klux Klan 321 Summary
Name____________________________ Date_______________ Class Period____
Directions: Read the “The Ku Klux Klan” article by Leslie Anderson Morales. Using
complete sentences, answer the prompt in each box below.
Write three things you learned in the reading.
3
Write two things you found interesting in the reading.
2
Write one question you still have about the reading.
1