The founders of this terrorist organization where made up of the base of confederate army war veterans. They founded the first branch of the Ku Klux Klan as a social club in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866. The groups name stemmed from the Greek word “kyklos” which meant inner circle. These members started to branch out forming more branches of the Klan which they called the meeting of the different branches the :Invisible Empire of the South". The head and first founder of the first bout of Klans men was lead by the Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, or others refereed to them as the "grand wizard". He decided the hierarchy of the grand dragons, grand titans and grand cyclopses.
The Ku Klux Klan or better known as the KKK, was founded in 1866. The clan took its shape in the south. It was the south's form of resistance. The KKK believes that America was intended for whites and whites only. There main goal was to get white-supremacy woven into the laws and passed through congress. Which means if you where not white and there was any cultural diversity that effected them in anyway even if minor they would would use the greatest amount of force possible to stop you. Most was considered even preventative measures as they would terrorize entire community's forcing fear into a majority of homes.
After years of the Klan going dormant a white Protestant nativist group, revived the KKK. This took place around the 20th Century. They started by marching, planning parades, which soon escalated to rallies demoting any diversity. These violent events where not enough, no one seemed to be getting the message, which soon lead to the burning of the cross. This was very symbolic and still is today because no matter your religion you look up to something and its terrifying if the only thing that brings you confront is burned to the ground. Thats how the KKK got all of there power the bigger the reaction the more people that lived in fear the better.
One event even included a bombing of schools, churches, and violent acts against African Americans in the south.
The Klan is most known for its dress and the way in which these masked men carry themselves. They actually became more famous as time went on and took of between 1915 to 1944. There floor length robes and tall white hats that come to a very distinct point and a layer of white fabric over laying the face with two eye holes cut out of it makes it extra terrifying. The costume its self symbolizes the worst times in history for the oppression of African Americans, Jews, Christians, Catholics, extra. These outfits are also called "glory suites", people wore them with pride. Another aspect of the Klan was it was to be some type of secretive about peoples identity. Which means you could be surrounded by Klan's member and not even know it till its too late. There actions in alliance with the Klan is what gains people the respect. Allegiance is key.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/ku-klux-klan
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