Klansville USA

Today in class we watched the documentary "Klansville USA" which discussed the uprising of the Ku Klux Klan. During the Civil Rights movement, the Ku Klux Klan was brought back into action due to the leadership of Bob Jones. The Klan originated in Tennessee from a group of decommissioned Confederate soldiers in 1865. The Klan of Reconstruction was feared throughout that time du to the rumors that were going around about what they did. It wasn't long after that the Klan was put to a temporary halt.

In 1915, a film emerged portraying the KU Klux Klan as it was supposed to be. They were in the film to scare of black people from exercise the new rights that they were granted such a voting. In the 1920's the KKK was revived. The clan during this time was not a rural and confined as the one in the 19th century. This one was larger, more serious, as many people were joining from places that you wouldn't necessarily think of when you think about white supremacy. Places such as Denver, Portland, and Detroit which had huge waves of immigration (European and African American). By 1925, the 4,000,000 Americans claimed klan membership. At this time the Klan became both a social and political power, initiating more and more people in, along with having influence in political backings in government elections.

After the 1954 Supreme Court Case of Brown v. The Board of Education, the Klan rose once again. When the Civil Rights Movement emerged in the late 1950's and 1960's the whites felt as if they were losing their superiority. Bob Jones believed that since all the other races and religious groups had their own groups, the whites needed to emerge as one. He stated "We have the same rights as the negro to demonstrate." The nation saw the progress that the movement was making, so they wanted to build the Ku Klux Klan more powerful than ever. After watching the March on Washington, Jones wanted to put a gathering together in a corn field near his home hoping that 100 people would show up, 2000 people did.Jones set up various chapters throughout the entire state of North Carolina. He himself initiated 10,000 members into the Klan.