The Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan

At the end of the American civil war in 1866 the Ku Klux Klan formed.

It is a white supremacist group that uses violence and intimidation to

reassert white domination in the United States. The Klan's attacks

have been aimed at African Americans, Jews, Catholics, immigrant and

other minority groups.

The Ku Klux Klan believes that after the Civil War in America white

citizens faced many problems due to the release of African American

slaves. They feared that these slaves would rise up and form a revolt

against white Americans. The Klan believes many of these cases did

occur and the government turned a blind eye too often. The Ku Klux

Klan then formed in May of 1866 to stand up for the rights of white

people in Southern America.

Originally, the small group were only social in nature and merely

discussed their beliefs of 'black tyranny', however the group grew and

began to terrorise African Americans by raiding their homes often

wearing white sheets. In 1867 many Klan's were established, most of

the leaders being former member of the Confederate Army,a group………… In

the next few years the Klan grew larger with more young extremists and

began to spread north. As the white rebellion grew larger they began

to wear marks and white cardboard hats and were draped in white

sheets. Many Klans tortured and killed African Americans and

sympathetic whites. Immigrants were also blamed for the election of

'radical republicans' and were also terrorised. Successful African

American businessmen were attacked and put out of business and any

attempt made to form black protection groups like trade unions was

stopped....

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...ss identified this man as Robert Chambliss

a member of the Ku Klux Klan and he was arrested and charged with

murder and possessing dynamite without a permit. On the day of the

court case he was found not guilty of murder and received a $100 fine

and a six-month jail sentence for having dynamite. Cases like this

were extremely common with Klansmen unlikely to be even arrested for

serious crimes in the Southern states of America.

Now the Ku Klux Klan still exists in smaller numbers across America

and in some parts of Europe. It is estimated that there are 2500-3000

members of the Ku Klux Klan and other associated groups. However,

strong law enforcement and zero tolerance for racist acts and crimes

has meant that these horrific acts are very rare. Civil Rights

Organizations have alo ensured equal treatment of all races.