Kkk ku klux klan musical groups. The Ku Klux Klan: The Rise and Fall of the "Invisible Empire"

Family and relationships - 05.03.2019

The Ku Klux Klan is a secret racist organization in the United States. Created in 1865 to combat the Negro movement and progressive organizations.

background

Before the appearance of the KKK in the US South, there was a large number of secret terrorist organizations that staged attacks on the black population, officers and soldiers of the federation troops. The system of terror created by the planters in the South had a high degree organization. From the time of civil war several names of such organizations have been preserved: social union”, “Blue Lodges”, “Sons of the South”, “Fiery Crosses”, “White Leagues”. The society "Knights of the Golden Circle" was popular, which numbered 115 thousand people. However, they all disappeared in the late 1860s, largely due to the harsh policies and harsh laws enacted by the American government in the South after the Civil War.

Prerequisites for the emergence of the organization

The Civil War was very strong influence on the views of the US population of that time. Reconstruction (1865-1877), which began in the South after its defeat, greatly changed the already established relations between the black and white population of the country. It should be noted that these years were difficult for the white population: parades, societies, meetings were banned. The military courts introduced, which were supposed to try crimes committed by or against slaves, almost always acquitted blacks. A Negro militia was organized, where whites were not accepted.

In Tennessee, in 1865, William J. "Person" Brownlow became governor, who was on the side of the blacks and even introduced a ban on the carrying of white weapons, while special detachments of shooters were formed from blacks. General J. Clanton in his memoirs described the convention in Tennessee in 1871: “Whites practically did not participate either in political activities or in the army. Blacks, on the contrary, created more and more new battalions, armed themselves and marched victoriously to the peals of drums.

That is, the Negroes received great opportunities, with which, for various reasons, for example, the lack of even primary education, did not cope. Looting and hooliganism began, but the authorities were afraid of accusations of racism and justified black criminals.

Creation of the KKK

On December 24, 1865, six months after the end of the South's resistance, in Pulaski, Tennessee, Judge Thomas L. Jones and six veterans of the Army of the South decided to create a secret organization, as is known from a plaque on the wall of the local courthouse. Names of the original six founding members of the Ku Klux Klan: McChord, Lester, Kennedy, Crowe, Jones, and Reid.

It was Reid who proposed the name “Knights of Kuklos” (“kuklos” from Greek - circle), but before that there was the society mentioned above “Knights of the Golden Circle”, then the Scot Kennedy proposed the word “clan”, which meant clan, family, connection of close people .

It was a non-standard, uncharacteristic name for that time. As one of the American historians of Klanism, D. L. Wilson, said, “Even in the very name of the Ku Klux Klan, there was some kind of fatal force. Have the reader say the word out loud. It resembles the sound of the bones of a skeleton hitting each other.

First stage

At first, the organization showed itself quite peacefully. They only frightened people, the killings did not start immediately. There was something mystical about their actions. For example, they galloped through the streets of the city, wrapped in white sheets, which amazed and horrified the inhabitants of the city, and entertained them. One of the first acts looked calm enough. They caught a Negro courting a white teacher, they took him to the river and made a suggestion, and then they just threw him into the water.

Because of their superstitions, at first the Negro population mistook the clansmen for the souls of the dead Confederates (that is, southerners). Fear passed only in 1866, when the wounded and dead appeared among the riders. In January 1866, 22 blacks imprisoned in the prison in Kingstree (State South Carolina) were burned alive. One Negro got scared and shot at the "ghost". Then the myth about the extraterrestrial origin of the riders disappeared. The clansmen began to dress in black and red and carry weapons.

The society was very popular among people who fought on the side of the South, also among racists and former members of secret societies. They organized branches called "dens". From 1865 to 1867 the latter numbered more than a hundred. And by 1868, everyone united around them. terrorist organizations southerners.

The year 1867 is significant in that in April representatives of several states gathered for a kind of illegal congress, where the KKK was reorganized. Firstly, the name was changed: Ku Klux Klan instead of Kuklux Klan, and secondly, Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former general of the army of the South, became the leader of the movement. He was given the title of "Great Wizard (or Sage)". At the same time, a constitution was developed, called the "Order", which spoke about the goals of the organization: to save the country from the invasion of blacks, the white race from humiliation and give blacks rights that are convenient only for whites. It included an oath not to allow equality between whites and blacks.

Structure of the KKK

A rather complex organizational structure was developed. The society itself was called the "Invisible Empire of the South" (Invisible Empire of the South), the head - the "Great Sage" (Grand Wizard), in which there was a council of 10 "geniuses". Each state is a "kingdom" ruled by " Great dragon”And a headquarters of 8“ hydras ”. In each "kingdom" there are "domains", at the head of the "domains" are "great tyrants" with assistants ("furies"). "Domains" consist of "provinces", in which the "Great Giants" and 4 "Houses" dominate. There were other positions: "Cyclops", "Great Magi", "Great Treasurers", "Great Guards", "Great Turks", etc. Each had his own duties. The rank and file members are "Vampires". There was also the “Great Standard Bearer”, who kept and protected the “Great Banner”, that is, the regalia.

Despite this complex system, the clan was still poorly organized, although there was coordination between the local "caves" and "domains", the society still did not lead a global policy. There were no significant disagreements between the "caves" and "domains".

Distribution area

In 1868, the charter was revised, now the organization's activities unfolded in eleven states. The most supported society in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Louisiana. Here it should be noted that after the destruction of the organization in 1871-1872, it resurrected again and already on January 1, 1922, the organization had approximately 1500 branches. The organization operated in 45 states, where about 600 local divisions functioned. The entire territory of the United States was divided into 9 groups - "domains", headed by the "Great Goblins" living in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Houston and Los Angeles.

Organization size

According to the "Great Magician" Forrest, the Klan consisted of over 550 thousand people, according to other sources - 2 million. By the end of 1868, the number of its members reached 600 thousand people. Most of them were soldiers and officers of the southern army.

Disguise

Members of the organization came up with many other names for the cells, so that when a clansman was sworn in, he could say that he was not in the KKK, but in some kind of "White Brotherhood" or in the society "Knights of the White Camellia" or "Guardians of the Constitution", " Knights of the Black Cross, etc. Mystical behavior, mysterious processions are an obligatory attribute of the clan. Characteristic features - secrecy and mystery, are necessary for the conspiracy of ordinary members in order to frighten the Negroes. Often it was enough to make it clear to the "unwanted person" about his uselessness, as he immediately moved to another place.

The organization had a complex system of conspiracy. Never gather in one place. For the publicity of secrets - death. The most complicated system of appearances and passwords. Everyone had a whistle and knew certain signals. None of the members ever knew in advance either the place of the next meeting or the real names of other members of the organization.

Terrorism

Although researchers agree that it did not originate as a terrorist organization, but as a secret society with vague goals similar to Masonic ones, it began to develop precisely with racist overtones. It should be noted that every year, with the increase in power and size of the organization, the number of victims and the degree of cruelty grew.

A good information network for assassinations and arson. Groups, depending on the operation, from 10 to 500 people, acting extremely quickly, leaving no witnesses. The killings became brutal, the victims were hanged, drowned, maimed. Florida Governor Flemming said that once, after one unfortunate black man was boiled alive in a cauldron, his bones were assembled by a clansman surgeon into a single skeleton, which the "vampires" hung at a crossroads for intimidation.
It is officially established that more than 15,000 murders have been committed in five years. In 1880, a member of the House of Representatives G. Wilson claimed that 130 thousand people were killed only for their political activity. They acted not only with brute force. For example, one of the radicals in Florida, Gibbs, set up a real arsenal at home, surrounding himself with security guards. But this did not help - Gibbs was poisoned.

Measures of the American authorities

In many states, including Tennessee, the home state of the founders of the society, the governor took various measures to deal with arbitrariness and cruelty, but all to no avail. The black police were unable to suppress the power of the KKK. After a series of failed attempts to take down the Klan, Brownlow even turned to "the world's greatest detective," one Selmour Barmore, to infiltrate and destroy the Klan's leaders. A few weeks later he was killed.

As a result, the clansmen have achieved enormous power in almost all states of the South. The harsh laws of the governors did not help, but the society did not exist for long, until the federal government began to act in their activities.
In both Carolinas, where the Ku Klux Klan was especially strong, its cruelty went beyond all bounds, and the governor turned to the president for a military solution to the issue. In other states, the intervention of the federal government was required, where there were ardent opponents of such organizations. The most famous and active of them was Benjamin Butler, who made every effort to get an official investigation. It took place in 1870, and the very next year, on the table of the Chief Justice, there was a detailed report on the work done, which stated the following:

... The Ku Klux Klan, or the Invisible Empire of the South, which includes a large number of people of various classes, has its own constitution and laws, commits violent acts against members of the Republican Party. Members of the Klan break into the houses of the black population with the aim of robbery, violence and murder of law-abiding citizens ...

On April 20, 1871, the US Congress passed a law aimed at suppressing the activities of the Ku Klux Klan (Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871). It gave the president the power to revoke the right to bodily integrity and to resort to arms to uphold the laws.

When the Ku Klux Klan once again began to commit excesses and violence in October 1871, the president declared a state of siege in nine counties of Carolina and made numerous arrests. Hundreds of activists were arrested and imprisoned by the decisions of the military tribunal, which was one of the important reasons termination of the organization, but it should be noted, although many arrests were made, almost no one from the leaders of the organization was injured.

Dissolution of the organization

It should also be noted that General Forrest (aka "The Great Magician") officially disbanded the KKK in 1871. Discuss the reasons that prompted him to take this step. No one knows exactly these reasons, various assumptions are made, in particular: that the leader himself sought to preserve the secrets of the organization, but it got out of control, and perhaps he decided that it did not meet the goals and objectives specified in the "order". Or he could be pressured by the federal government and he had no choice. No matter how logical the reasoning of the researchers, documents with the opinion of General Forrest personally did not survive, and the organization officially ceased to exist.

Recreation

October 28, 1915, in the office of I. R. Clarkson, Simmons' attorney, presided over by Speaker Legislative Assembly State of Georgia DW Bale, in the presence of 36 people (of which two were "vampires" under the "great magician" Forrest), the founding meeting of the new Ku Klux Klan was held.

On December 4, 1915, the "Invisible Empire" received the right to legal existence and to use the former attributes, traditions, regalia of the Clan. The newly recreated organization numbered several hundred thousand members, and their actions now extended beyond the black population. Since the 1920s, Jews, Catholics, communists, leaders of trade unions and strike committees, new immigrants, especially Chinese who fled to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, have been added to the list of victims. Later, homosexuals were included in the "black list" of the organization. The new "father" of the Ku Klux Klan was Williams Simmons - a brilliant speaker, a participant in the Spanish-American War of 1898.
The most radical members of the Ku Klux Klan considered the federal government their main enemy, and some of them were convicted of attempting to assassinate government officials and judges.

During the Great Depression and the war, the Ku Klux Klan virtually ceased to exist. Officially, the KKK was disbanded in 1944, restored in 1946, and split into a number of factions in 1949. The 1960s were marked by a revival of the organization's activities, when activists in the struggle for civil rights.

Victims

In the early 60s in southern states In the United States, public discussions unfolded between supporters and opponents of segregation. These disputes sometimes ended in bloodshed. Police with dogs and water cannons dispersed civic activists' marches in Birmingham, while Ku Klux Klan leaders attacked their homes and burned propagandist buses as they cruised the US South protesting racial discrimination.

Most notorious for its cruelty in those years was the highly secret group of "White Knights" from Mississippi, numbering from 6 to 7 thousand members. Of the many acts of violence committed by this organization, two caused the greatest resonance in public opinion USA: The murder of two white and one black civil activists on June 21, 1964 in Philadelphia and the bombing of a Baptist church in Birmingham on September 15, 1963, which killed 4 black girls.

In total, according to experts, the activities of the Ku Klux Klan to counter civil rights activists resulted in 70 bombings in Georgia and Alabama, 30 arson of churches frequented by blacks in Mississippi, and 10 racially motivated murders in Alabama alone.

For my long history The Ku Klux Klan used a variety of measures to influence people they did not like: from threats to bombs. His arsenal included: hanging, acid pouring, torture, executions, murders with knives, stoning to death, burning, castration and many other forms of violence. A complete list of the Klan's victims will probably never be compiled, for many of them were too frightened to report what had happened to the authorities.

The victims of the Ku Klux Klan are as diverse as their methods of violence. Of course, from the first days of the founding of the Ku Klux Klan to the present day, Negroes have been and remain enemy No. 1 for the “knights of the invisible empire”; others changed along with the social and political development South. Initially, they were "carpetbaggers" and supporters of equality of civil rights. From the 1920s they were joined by Jews, Catholics, communists, leaders of trade unions and strike committees, new immigrants, especially Chinese. Later, homosexuals were included in the "black list" of the organization. The most radical representatives of the Ku Klux Klan consider the federal government their main enemy, and some of them have been convicted of attempting to assassinate government officials and judges.

third revival

In the 1970s, the Ku Klux Klan experienced its third renaissance. Between 1975 and 1979, the membership of the organization increased from 6,500 to 10,000. The number of potential supporters - those who read the literature published by the Klan and attended its rallies, but were not officially registered members, was estimated at 75 thousand people.

The greatest role in the "third revival" of the Ku Klux Klan was played by David Duke, who created a new and greatly changed image in the public mind. In 1975, he reunited the disparate "Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" and toured the states, appearing extensively on television, radio, and other media. mass media. It was largely thanks to Duke, well-dressed, well-spoken, and convincingly hiding the most extremist of the ideas championed by the Ku Klux Klan, that journalists in all media began to talk about the creation of a “new Ku Klux Klan”. Most of the newly recruited members were either people who had seen Duke on TV or had met him and contacted him for more information.

Duke and his supporters tried to turn their unexpectedly increased popularity into real political power. However, they faced setbacks along the way. In 1979, Duke was defeated in the Louisiana state legislature. In 1988, he was again defeated, but this time on presidential elections as a candidate for the populist party. In 1980, the head of the Ku Klux Klan in California, Tom Metzger, managed to become a candidate from Democratic Party to the US Senate, but in the elections he suffered a crushing defeat. All these attempts testified to one general trend: the leaders of the Ku Klux Klan could count on a fairly massive support for their ideas, but it was clearly not enough to occupy any more or less significant official post.

Duke was soon removed from the leadership of the Klan, as his rival Don Black accused him of trying to sell the list of members of the Ku Klux Klan. official authorities. However, Black himself managed to stay at the head of the organization for only one year. In 1981, he was arrested, along with other members of the Ku Klux Klan and other neo-Nazi groups, for attempting to overthrow the government in the Dominican Republic.

By this time, the country's attention had already been attracted by the new "Grand Vizier of the Invisible Empire" Bill Wilkinson, who preferred to appear in newspaper and magazine photographs with two bodyguards holding their machine guns pointed directly at the camera. He also constantly emphasized the militaristic nature of the organization he leads, saying that "the weapons that we bring to rallies are not intended for rabbits," Wilkinson made great efforts to recruit as many young members as possible into his organization, organizing a special camp in Alabama . There, the children were engaged in military training, studied the history and ideology of the Ku Klux Klan. Teaching children to be violent was a key element in their upbringing: in 1979, a dozen teenagers dressed in "invisible empire" T-shirts burned down a school bus with the enthusiastic approval of their senior mentors.

Klan alliance with the Nazis

At a time when the Ku Klux Klan was feeling a slight decrease in the number of its members, the attention of pro-fascist Americans was attracted by new strength- Neo-Nazis. Like the Klan, they were convinced of the superiority of the white race. However, instead of white hoodies, the Nazis wore military uniforms, and they considered Adolf Hitler their hero and ideological leader.

The activities of neo-Nazi organizations did not receive the wide development they aspired to. The main problem small pro-fascist groups have always been their fragmentation.

To some neo-Nazis who managed to overcome internal contradictions and to unite, it was possible to achieve significant results in politics. In 1975, three representatives of the National Socialist Party of the United States were registered as candidates for the Chicago City Assembly, and in 1976, one of the leaders of the National Socialist Party of White People, whose election posters invariably featured a swastika, received almost 3,000 votes in the mayoral election. city of Milwaukee. The most significant results were achieved by the leader of the US National Socialist Party, Harold Covigton, who, having lost the elections in North Carolina, nevertheless managed to gain 56,000 votes. In the same year, one of the leaders of the Nazis, Gerald Carlson, became the Republican Party candidate from Michigan for the US Congress. And although he, like his colleagues, was ultimately defeated in the elections, he nevertheless managed to garner 32% of the vote.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, members of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis gradually began to realize the mutual benefits of cooperation among themselves. And although the roots of these movements lay in two completely different areas (the situation in the post-war South of the United States and the pre-war movement in Germany), they had common enemies and a common belief in the superiority of the white race. Some leaders of the Ku Klux Klan, such as David Duke and Don Black, started out in the Nazi movement, and Glenn Miller, who created the new Ku Klux Klan movement in North Carolina, added military uniforms and the Nazi salute to the traditional trappings of the organization. In Georgia, Ed Fields merged the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis into one Nationalist Right Party, and the organization's literature is distributed through both political channels.

"White Revolutionaries"

The revival of the Ku Klux Klan in the 70s lasted less than a decade. By the end of 1987, membership in various organizations calling themselves the Ku Klux Klan had fallen to one of the lowest in the history of the movement. The hopes of leaders to win over a significant part of the middle class - indebted farmers, disgruntled taxpayers, worried parents, conservative college and university students - did not materialize either. In addition, in 1980, Klan members faced much tougher legislative pressure than they had been used to in the organization's century-old history. The police began to treat them as terrorists. Severe court verdicts landed many members of the Ku Klux Klan in jail, and entire organizations, leaderless, disbanded shortly thereafter.

But although the organization's membership had dwindled by 1987, its influence, according to most analysts, had hardly diminished.

All these processes were part of one, more general phenomenon: the sharp radicalization of the movement. In the mid-1980s, Ku Klux Klan leaders began talking about an offensive " new era movement”, which will complete the transition from traditional marches and campaign rallies to more militant underground and revolutionary work. In this regard, the most indecisive ones left the branches of the Ku Klux Klan, but the most convinced of its members rallied their ranks even closer.

The "new era", if it is to come, is likely to be an era of more radical racists than the traditional members of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1987, the organization had only 5,000 members, while other organizations with a similar ideological focus had as many as 18,000 members. But, according to the message intelligence services United States, in 1988 there were at least 67 different racist and neo-fascist organizations operating in the country. All these groups have different names, but similar ideology and strategy. Their members usually belong to not one, but several similar organizations, and, as a rule, attend rallies of their allies.

The reality of such a coalition became particularly evident in 1983, when members of the Aryan Congress of Nations, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klans created a new structure called the Order, which included not only blacks and Jews, but the entire US government as its enemies. Their goal was not just to intimidate the population, but "total revolution." They carefully planned and successfully carried out robberies, murders and bombings until 23 members of this organization were brought to justice and ended up in prison.

"Order"

Since the early 1970s, following the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, its members have faced serious and elaborate opposition, more organized than ever before. The successful progress in reforming civil law, the close control of law enforcement agencies over the activities of organizations, several high-profile lawsuits have led to a decrease in the number of racist groups in the United States. However various groups reacted to the current situation in different ways: if the traditional branches of the Ku Klux Klan continued to organize marches, distribute literature and conduct other campaigning work, then the ultra-radicals responded to the current situation with even more intensification of their activities, since the only way out that could solve all social and economic problems modern America, they saw in a total revolution, coupled with violence.

Tom Metzger, the leader of the White Aryan Resistance, openly called for acts of violence as the most radical weapon in the fight against the federal government: “We are revolutionaries, not nice boys. We evaluate our comrades on the basis of how useful they are in the real fight against the Zionist occupation government.” Metzger and his supporters were convinced that the activities of the leaders of all previous radical movements were so little successful, primarily because they put ideas above concrete goals, that they paid insufficient attention to preparing a new generation.

In 1983, at a meeting of the Aryan Nations party, which was then headed by Richard Butler, it was decided to create the Order group, whose members actively began to implement revolutionary ideas: they armed themselves, prepared their supporters for participation in guerrilla warfare, committed robberies, acts of violence, and also planned large-scale actions throughout the country.

In 1985, 24 members of the Order group were arrested and put on trial on charges of the following crimes: the murder of Denver journalist Alan Berg, the murder of Aryan Nations member Walter West, the robbery of cars of collectors in the amount of 3.6 million and 500 thousand dollars, robbing two banks in the city of Seattle, illegal possession of weapons and possession of explosives.

At the end of this process, the US Department of Justice accused the three leaders of this movement - Richard Butler, Robert Miles and Louis Beam - of plotting to overthrow the government and organizing crimes committed by members of the Order group. However, the jurors litigation in the state of Arkansas, they disagreed with these charges, and in 1988 they acquitted the leaders of the movement in all these cases.

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

Analysis of the activities of one of radical groups from the state of North Carolina can serve as a surprising example of the gradual transition from the traditional tactics of the Ku Klux Klan to the more militant and secrecy of activity characteristic of modern white revolutionaries.

Glenn Miller was a member of the National Socialist Party of America, various Nazi groups, and was involved in the 1979 Greensboro clashes that resulted in the deaths of five demonstrators protesting the activities of the Ku Klux Klan. A year later, having come to the conclusion that swastika slogans could only attract a small number of southern whites, Miller organized a new movement called the Carolina Ku Klux Knights, recruiting members of other, less active branches of the Klan. In North Carolina, he created a well-organized network of branches of his organization scattered throughout the state. Miller led several previously well publicized marches by his supporters and members of his organization, dressed in masks and traditional white robes. He actively attracted more and more supporters, participating in numerous talk shows on radio and television, giving extensive interviews to newspapers and magazines, speaking at various meetings and rallies. In 1984, Miller and several of his supporters even ran for various leadership positions in North Carolina, and although they were all defeated in the end, they managed to garner a fairly significant percentage of the vote.

By 1985, the organization headed by Miller had already 23 branches, and total number its members were estimated at about a thousand people. As his group grew stronger, Miller began to share more and more the ideas of other leaders of the "right" about the need to move to more active actions. In order to attract as many young and active members as possible into the ranks of his organization, Miller organized for his “knights” serious military training, where young men were taught to use various types weapons, and hand-to-hand combat. Miller constantly informed a variety of media about this new side of his activity, describing in detail not only all the stages of military training, but also supplying these descriptions with photographs of well-armed and dressed in camouflage uniform members of the Ku Klux Klan. Behind it all was one common goal, which united the supporters of Glenn Miller with the leaders of the "Order" - the dream of a global "white revolution".

In 1985, Glenn Miller changed the name of the organization from the Carolina Knights to the Confederate Knights. To explain why he did this, Miller stated at one of his organization's meetings: “We will not only create a new White Christian army, but we will be able to take back our country. We hope to keep losses to a minimum, but anyone who gets in our way will regret it." With the change of name, the attributes of the group also changed: now, at all its meetings, its members did not wear traditional white robes, but camouflage uniforms and army boots.

Back in the summer of 1984, as the head of the Knights of the Confederation later admitted, he received $ 200,000 from money stolen by the Order militants. Moreover, further investigation showed that their connections were not limited to purely financial sphere. Glenn Miller, as head of the Carolina Knights, was also "Administrator of the Southern States" in governing bodies"Order", where he appeared under the pseudonym "Round".

The US government did not stop trying to restrict the activities of radical organizations in the country. In 1985, Glenn Miller himself, his deputy Stefan Miller and their entire organization (this time renamed the "White Patriot Party") were found guilty of violating a law prohibiting any unofficial military training, and sentenced to various, fairly short prison terms. . However, they were soon released on bail.

The activities of Glenn Miller and his organization did not stop, and in April 1987 he appealed to all its members with an appeal to " total war against the government of "blacks and Jews". Shortly after this appeal, Glenn Miller disappeared. The search for him was crowned with success only 10 days later, when he was found by the Missouri authorities along with his three closest supporters and big amount various weapons. Miller faced a number of serious charges, but he chose an exit that shocked all his former allies: he pleaded guilty only to illegal possession of weapons and agreed to give indictments. witness's testimonies against other members of the White Patriot Party.

The party itself was disbanded shortly after these events. Most of its members have joined the National Democratic Forum from Maryland, whose main goal is "the long-term ideological and physical training to the coming white revolution.

Demonstrators protest a Klan meeting in Jasper, Texas, following the death of James Byrd, October 10, 1998. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

Klan members prepare to light a cross in Vidor, Texas on October 10, 1998. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

High-ranking member of the Knights of the Southern Mississippi clan "imperial sage" Jimmy Maxey at a wedding, Petal, Mississippi, December 31, 2001. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA)

A clansman attends a cross-lighting ceremony in Petala, Mississippi, Dec. 31, 2011. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

Klan member at a cross-lighting ceremony in Vidor, Texas, Dec. 10, 1998. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

Art Dixon shows his son Floyd how to properly hold a torch, Pearl, Mississippi, June 12, 2011. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

A member of America's Invisible Empire clan addresses a crowd in Rome, Georgia, October 3, 1998. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

Boys on the porch of deceased Jimmy Maxey, Petal, Mississippi, August 10, 2002. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

Klan members at a cross-lighting ceremony in Petal, Mississippi, August 8, 1998. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA) #

Ricky Draper speaks at a press conference in Cottonwood, Alabama, May 2, 1998. (James Edward Bates/zReportage.com/ZUMA)

Cross Lighting Ceremony in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, March 27, 2010. (Ty Cacek-Redux)

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Rebel Brigade during the burning of the cross, July 2, 2011. (Ty Cacek for TIME)

Ku Klux Klan- a dark horse in the history of the United States of America, a secret organization that arose back in the 19th century and defended the ultra-right positions.
Based on the principles of the community, it can be called racist and terrorist. original purpose brotherhood was the revival of white supremacy, the salvation of the state from the invasion of Africans.

The birth of the organization should be attributed to December 24, 1865. The founders of the society were Judge T. L. Jones and several veterans of the Civil War (1861 - 1865): Reed, Kennedy, Lester, McChord and Crowe.

There are several versions of the explanation of the name of the secret brotherhood: 1st - from the Greek word "kouklos" - a wheel or circle, "clan" - the concept of a tribal community among the inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland; 2nd - from the Latin "cucullo", which means hood; 3rd explains that this concept resembles in its sound the characteristic clang of a rifle.

Emblem of the organization.

History has several similar organizations that existed in different time in USA. The first of them did not flourish for long: from 1865 to the early 1870s, it numbered about 550,000 people. The appearance of the famous white costumes, which consisted of a frightening conical headdress, a mantle and a mask, refers precisely to this period. Representatives first secret movement practically did not use extremist methods, and their actions were of a deterrent nature. Very often they had fun running around the city in white sheets, thereby instilling fear in the local population.

Knights of the "Invisible Empire" against the background of their symbol - a cross engulfed in fire.

Later, members of the society began to kill, but at first they sent strange marks (grains of oranges and melons, or sprigs of oak leaves) warning of imminent death if the victim did not renounce his beliefs and stop activities objectionable to the clan. Not only the black population of America was subjected to murder, but also those who supported them. Every year the organization strengthened its positions, and its methods of struggle became tougher and tougher: they maimed, burned, drowned, hung up, while acting very clearly and without prying eyes.

The new Ku Klux Klan appeared in 1915 and existed until 1944, the number of members of which, according to various sources, ranged from 3 to 6 million. It was the representatives of the revived society who came up with the main symbol of the organization - a burning cross. They fought to provide special status and rights to citizens of the United States whose ancestors won the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). The Knights of the Invisible Empire opposed the minority rights movement. The “Black List” of the fraternity already included not only Africans, but also communists, Jews, newly arrived immigrants, as well as government officials.

There are many interesting things in the history of America. There are events that cause a feeling of pride, but there are episodes that they don’t want to remember. These include an organization called the Ku Klux Klan.

History of the Ku Klux Klan

Its birth can be attributed to 1865, when the officers who took part in the war with the northerners decided to create a secret organization against the orders imposed by the Yankees. They also wanted to protect the interests of white people. This event took place in Tennessee. Relying on Greek mythology, they created a whole hierarchy, using titans, hydras, furies and other mythical characters. It was then that a frightening and unique uniform appeared that distinguishes this organization from all others: snow-white hoodies and high cone-shaped hoods that completely covered the face, with slits for the eyes. When such a group appeared in any place, the sight was so frightening that the Ku Klux Klan began to be spoken of more and more often.

Here everything was hidden. Meetings were never held in the same place, and even the time and place of the meeting were announced almost at the last minute. All names were kept secret. A complex system of passwords made it impossible to trace the members of the order. If anyone gave out the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, it was punishable by death.

They were especially terrifying for blacks. The Africans were very superstitious, and when they met, especially at night, riders in white robes, they mistook them for the ghosts of Confederate soldiers who returned for their souls. But they were far from incorporeal ghosts. Here a whole scheme of murders of objectionable American citizens was developed, who at first received some kind of sign, anything - a grain from some fruit, a tree branch. The recipient was obliged to abandon his ideas or leave the United States, in case of non-fulfilment, death awaited him. Each crime involved from 10 to 50 people.

More and more people wanted to join the Ku Klux Klan, in many southern states there was no end to newcomers. What tempted them? Maybe extreme nighttime horse racing with torches in hand, or aggressive attacks on GOP activists? Unfortunately for the victims, Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery, was a Republican. Innocent people died in terrible agony, the execution was so cruel. Victims were beaten to death, hanged, doused with acid. Republicans with white skin color and representatives of the Federal Army were not spared either.

Origin of the name of the Ku Klux Klan organization

According to one version, the name of the organization comes from the Greek "kouklos", which means a circle or a wheel. There is also a version that the name Ku Klux is consonant with the sound of a reloading gun: the shutter towards you - “ku”, from yourself - “klux”. And finally, cucullo is translated from Latin as a hood.

The Ku Klux Klan is the first terrorist organization of the modern type.

Everyone had their own reasons for joining the Ku Klux Klan and, apparently, very good ones, if already in 1868 the "white knights", as they poetically called themselves, numbered about 600 thousand people in their ranks. In 1870, when their crimes exceeded all boundaries, the organization was recognized as a terrorist organization, although they had nothing to do with some of the murders. President Ulysses Grant, after passing an act giving the green light to the fight against the Ku Klux Klan, declared a state of emergency in 9 districts of the state of South Carolina, allowing the arrest of all members of the Ku Klux Klan organization. To save the life of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathaniel Forrest - the Great Sage, the leader of the order - proclaimed the liquidation of the organization.

Many breathed a sigh of relief, and for some time the Ku Klux Klan showed no signs of life. But time passed, the year 1915 came, and again the organization reminded of itself. Everything wanted to get into it. more people, and by the middle of 1920 its membership numbered more than 6 million! The ideology has changed: now, according to the “invisible empire”, a white Protestant of Anglo-Saxon origin was considered an American. They began to actively fight against socialists, Catholics, Jews, homosexuals, new immigrants and trade unions. The tradition of burning crosses dates back to this time, which is hallmark Ku Klux Klan.

The organization was considered so strong that its members were not afraid in 1925 in their white robes to walk through the center of Washington in a crowd of 50,000. It was they who insisted that laws be passed that restricted immigration to the United States.

When the Great Depression began, the hype around the Ku Klux Klan subsided, everyone was not up to common problems, and it became problematic to pay a fee for staying in the organization. Influence began to fall sharply, and even Edgar Hoover, who headed the organization, later called the FBI, decided to destroy it. The struggle bore fruit, as a result, the composition decreased by 10 times, and in 1944 the dissolution was announced to the members.

And again, this was not the end. 2 years have passed, and separate groups began to appear on the horizon, which, so far timidly, but have already started talking about a new revival of the Ku Klux Klan. A decade and a half will pass, and they will again begin to destroy, beat, humiliate not only people with black skin, but also those who protect them. Churches visited by African Americans will burn, their houses will explode. Statistics give horrifying data: from 1882 to 1968, about 3,446 blacks and 1,297 white Americans died at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan.

Gradually, the activity of the members began to fade. In the 60s of the twentieth century, when the struggle for the civil rights of African Americans successfully intensified, the Ku Klux Klan organization again replenished its ranks. But it suffered a blow after the arrest of its leaders in the 1970s.

1993 is considered the final year in the history of the main terrorist organization in the history of the United States. But her ideas excite the minds of many people, and who knows if tomorrow a new revival will begin?

The topic of the history of the Ku Klux Klan (Ku-Klux-Klan) in our country was not entirely grateful, and if this organization was talked about, it was only in a negative spirit, which, however, corresponded to reality.
However, think about it - what do we know about the Ku Klux Klan? As a rule, directories, without going into details, reported that this was a secret racist terrorist organization aimed at combating blacks. If the inquisitive reader tried to find any additional information, he was disappointed. Undoubtedly, the lack of information on any issue always arouses interest in it, especially since the true history of the Ku Klux Klan has not yet been written, and much of its activities remain unknown.

We are ours, we are white world let's build
Even before the appearance of the Ku Klux Klan, in the 40s of the XIX century in the US South there were many secret organizations that carried out terrorist acts against officers, soldiers of the federal troops and people who fought for the rights of the black population of America. During the Civil War of 1861-1865, these organizations participated in the fight against the northerners - "Blue Lodges", "Sons of the South", "Social Union". The Knights of the Golden Circle acquired the greatest fame - in November 1860 it consisted of 115.0 thousand people. Almost all of them disappeared - for one reason or another - during the war.
After the defeat of the South in the Civil War, a new period began in US history - the Reconstruction of the South (1865-1877). Of course, in the South there remained a large number of people of different social status who showed dissatisfaction with the liberation of blacks, yesterday's slaves. Therefore, the emergence of a new anti-Negro organization turned out to be natural.
On December 24, 1865, in Pulaski, Tennessee, Judge Thomas L. Jones and 6 former Confederate Army officers formed the Ku Klux Klan, as evidenced by a plaque on the wall of the local courthouse. Initially, on the initiative of one of the "founders", Reed, new organization they wanted to name the "Knights of Kouklos" ("Kuklos" in Greek - a circle). But the "Knights of the Circle" was very similar to the earlier society "Knights of the Golden Circle". Then another "founder", Captain Kennedy, a Scot, proposed to add the word "clan" to the name, denoting his historical homeland genus, a group of close relatives. This is how the phrase was born, which for many years became synonymous with death for the black population of America. As one of the American historians of clanism, D. Wilson, said, even “... in the very name of the Ku Klux Klan there was some kind of fatal force. Have the reader say the word aloud. It resembles the sound of skeleton bones hitting each other.
Wishing to celebrate the creation of their terrorist organization, at night the "founding fathers" wrapped themselves in white sheets, mounted horses and began to gallop through the streets of the city. They laughed heartily at the astonishment which their procession produced upon the inhabitants, and took even greater delight in the fear of the Negroes they met along the way. At first, superstitious Africans mistook the clansmen for the souls of the dead Confederate southerners. The first horror among the Negroes passed only when the dead and wounded appeared among the clansmen.
After the first mass appearance of the people in the Ku Klux Klan, it became customary to wear white masks with holes for the eyes and nose, high hats sewn in such a way as to increase a person’s height, and white robes that completely covered the figure. The equipment necessarily included a whistle with which commands were given: a special set of conditional signals was specially developed in the clan.
One of the first acts of intimidation of the clansmen turned out to be quite "innocent". A black man was punished for courting a white school teacher. The clansmen took him outside the city, made him a suggestion to stop dating white women, and threw him into the river.
The Ku Klux Klan quickly gained popularity, especially among former Confederate army officers and soldiers, staunch racists, and former members of secret organizations such as the Knights of the Golden Circle. In 1865-1867, i.e. For almost two years of existence, the number of clan members has been steadily growing - there were more than a hundred original cells of the clan. By 1868, all southern terrorist organizations had united around the Ku Klux Klan. The social base of the clan was very wide - from the poorest peasants ( wage which fell sharply due to the appearance of cheap labor in the labor market in the form of freed blacks) to the rich.

Mystical vertical
In April 1867, another important event took place in the history of the Ku Klux Klan - the first, illegal, "congress" of the organization took place in the city of Nashville. According to legend, the meeting was held in room 10 of the Maxwell Hotel. The "congress" was attended by delegates from Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. The result of the "conference" was the adoption of the "charter" and "constitution" of the Ku Klux Klan.
The document stated that the clan arose in order to “stop the death of our unfortunate country and save the white race from those unbearable conditions in which it was placed in Lately. Our primary mission is to uphold the supremacy of the white race... America was created by whites for whites, and any attempt to place power in the hands of the black race is both a violation of the Constitution (meaning the US Constitution), and God's will... The rights of the Negroes must be recognized and protected, but the whites must reserve to themselves the privilege of determining the scope of these political rights. And until the Negroes answer how they understand their political rights, the Klan vowed not to allow the political equality of blacks.
The "Congress" also worked out the structure of the organization. The Ku Klux Klan was declared an "Invisible Empire", controlled by a "great magician", in which there was a council (with headquarters functions) consisting of 10 "geniuses". The power of the head of the "empire" was absolute, and his decisions were subject to immediate execution.
The "Empire" was divided into "kingdoms", covering the state, led by the "great dragon" and his headquarters of 8 "hydras". The "kingdom" was subdivided into "domains", equal to the congressional district of the United States. At the head of the "domain" was the "great titan" with assistants, called "furies". "Domains" were divided into "provinces", headed by a "great giant" and 4 "brownies".
The original cell of the clan was a "cave" led by a "great cyclops" and two "night hawks". There were others officials: "great sorcerer", who replaced the "cyclops" in his absence, "great monk", who acted as the head of the "cave" in the absence of the "cyclops" and "sorcerer". The "Great Treasurer", as the name suggests, was in charge of the finances; the "great Turk" notified the "vampires" - ordinary members of the clan - about upcoming meetings; the "great guardian" was the gatekeeper of the "cave"; the “great standard-bearer” kept and protected the “great banner”, i.e. regalia.
The issue of financing the "Invisible Empire" remains unknown. Part of the money the Klansmen obtained by smuggling, they did not disdain robberies, capturing weapons and ammunition. In any case, the clan never experienced a special need for money.
The first leader of the Ku Klux Klan, its "founders" intended to make the famous and talented commander-in-chief of the Confederate army R. Lee, who was defeated in the battle of Gettysburg. However, the general chose not to interfere in the activities of the new terrorist organization, escaping with a witty phrase that "he will remain the invisible head of the Invisible Empire."
Therefore, the former General of the Confederation N.B. was appointed to the post of the first "great magician". Forrest, who was very popular in the South and became famous for his brutality during the Civil War against blacks captured in the troops of the North (former officers and generals of the Confederate army were also placed in other positions).
The most characteristic features of the Clan were secrecy and mystery. They were necessary for the conspiracy of "vampires", and as a kind of scarecrow for blacks and their "accomplices". The second circumstance was given paramount importance. In many cases, it was enough for the victim to hint that her presence was undesirable, as the person immediately moved to another place. The clansmen tried always and everywhere to emphasize the mystery of the organization, about its connections with mysticism. The clansmen especially preferred night processions - in complete silence, in white robes and caps, on horseback, they rode through the deserted streets. The spectacle, it should be noted, made a certain impression.

Ku Klux Klan in action
The Ku Klux Klan quickly gained popularity, and in 1868 the charter was revised. Now, in addition to the 11 states of the Confederation, the new areas of the clan's activity included Maryland, Massachusetts, and Kentucky. Most widespread The clan received in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Louisiana. From the 70s. 19th century the Ku Klux Klan makes itself known almost openly; "caves" were designed in the form of political or sports clubs. According to Forrest, the Klan consisted of over 550.0 thousand people, according to other sources - 2.0 million.
The clan acted under different names so that people who are in them can safely swear in court that they are not members of the Ku Klux Klan - the White Brotherhood, the Knights of the Black Cross, the Guardians of the Constitution, the Knights of the White Camellia, etc.
The main "occupation" of the Ku Klux Klan was acts of terrorism. Due to the extraordinary branching of the organization, the "vampires" possessed comprehensive information, on the basis of which they carried out murders, arson, and beatings. In operational terms, the "Invisible Empire" had the following structure - the county (an administrative-territorial unit of the United States) was divided into several districts, each of which was a "lag", i.e. the lowest combat cell, headed by a "captain".
The clansmen acted in mobile groups, depending on the circumstances - from 10-12 to 200-500 people, and extremely quickly, no witnesses were left alive. The murders of blacks and those fighting for their rights were committed with unprecedented cruelty - they shot, maimed, hanged. As a rule, they preferred to throw the victim into the water with a stone around his neck. Florida Governor Flemming says that once, after one unfortunate black man was boiled alive in a cauldron, his bones were assembled by a clansman surgeon into a single skeleton, which the "vampires" hung at a crossroads for intimidation.
Subsequently, only official facts Commission of Congress found that in the period from 1865 to 1870. The Ku Klux Klan committed over 15,000 murders. In 1880, a member of the House of Representatives G. Wilson testified that 130,000 people were killed for political activity alone in the southern states.
Death awaited not only ordinary US citizens, but also politicians. In 1868, the Republican candidate for governor of the state was assassinated in Georgia. That same year, two members of the Legislative Corps were attacked in Alabama. One was shot dead, the other, who survived, curtailed his activities. In 1869, the clansmen killed a senator and a member of the Legislative Assembly. Fearing an assassination attempt, one of the radicals in Florida, Gibbs, set up a real arsenal at home, surrounding himself with guards. But this did not help - Gibbs was poisoned.
As a result, by the mid-1970s 19th century the clansmen staged total terror, having achieved the unprecedented power of the "Invisible Empire" in almost all states of the South. Therefore, the federal government was forced to actively intervene in the activities of the Ku Klux Klan, reaching in this field great success. Significantly contributed to the prohibition of the "Invisible Empire" and the death of the "great magician" Forrest in October 1877 (shortly before his death, he freed the "vampires" from all oaths), i.e. when the period of Reconstruction of the South came to an end. However, if the Ku Klux Klan disappeared, then not for long. Soon he reappeared.

Second birth
The second birth of the "Invisible Empire" occurred during the First World War. Although the Ku Klux Klan did not function for about 30 years, the memory of him in the South among the ardent supporters of the anti-Negro movement remained the most "favorable". The new "father" of the clan was a certain Williams Simmons - a brilliant speaker, a participant in the American-Spanish war of 1898, which he volunteered for.
October 28, 1915 in the office of I.R. Clarkson, Simmons' attorney, under the chairmanship of Speaker of the Georgia Legislature D.W. Bale, in the presence of 36 people (of which two were "vampires" under the "great magician" Forrest), a "constituent meeting" of the new Ku Klux Klan was held. The meeting participants signed a petition asking the State of Georgia for permission to establish the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as a "patriotic, charitable social fraternal order."
On a Thanksgiving night in November, 16 people climbed to the top of Stone Mountain, 10 miles from Atlanta. They performed a ritual action - they built an altar from stones, on which they laid American flag, saber and bible. A wooden cross was erected nearby, doused with kerosene, which was set on fire.
The rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan happened for several reasons. One of the main reasons for reincarnation was the persistence in the hearts of the new southerners of the memories of the clan as a fighter against blacks, for whom the South had never had much love. This dislike became even more aggravated during the First World War. Secondly, at the beginning of the twentieth century. began a massive migration of blacks from the South to the North, which caused extreme disapproval among the northerners.
The impetus for the revival of the "Invisible Empire" was also the unprecedented popularity of the feature film by the American southern director D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915).
On December 4, 1915, the "Invisible Empire" received the right to legal existence and to use the former attributes, traditions, and regalia of the clan. Having revived, the clan partially accepted other forms of existence, completely unacceptable before. The leaders of the "Invisible Empire" emphasized in every possible way that their movement is "one hundred percent Americanism", that they preach truly patriotic and religious feelings. The clan called for law and order, put forward slogans against prostitution, in defense of morality, which attracted many Americans, and especially women, to the “empire”. One of the "great magicians" of this period, Evans, said: "We are a grassroots movement. We demand (and we hope to win) the return of power to the hands of the average citizen, a descendant of the pioneers…”. In addition to words, the Ku Klux Klan was also engaged in deeds - in 1921, he spent $ 1 million on charity.
At the same time, one should not idealize the "Invisible Empire" - the victory of the Bolsheviks in 1917 led to an increase in anti-communist sentiments, economic instability in the country in 1919-1920. - countless bankruptcies. In all troubles, the clan blamed the “Reds”, foreigners, and of course, “Black Sea”, inciting chauvinism, preaching nationalism.
Therefore, due to the unfavorable internal situation in the United States, by the end of 1920, hundreds of thousands of people joined the clan, sincerely believing that it was he who could correct the situation. In June 1923, the "Women's Ku Klux Klan" was organized, in 1924 - the "Junior Ku Klux Klan" for boys and youths aged 12 to 18 years. The quantitative growth of "vampires" took place both in the city and in the countryside. From 1920 to 1925 revenues from membership fees alone amounted to $90 million, i.e. per year - 15 million!
As before, "vampires" enjoyed the support of " the mighty of the world this." The clan had huge funds. For bribery, to hold elections to the highest legislatures clansmen spent hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. As before, their henchmen made their way into power - from the most grassroots bodies to Congress.
In 1922, people sympathetic to the cause of the clan were elected governors of the states of Georgia, Alabama, California and Oregon. In 1924, the number of "vampire" governors increased at the expense of Colorado, Maine, Ohio, Louisiana. In the same year, in 1924, the “great treasurer” of the “empire” allocated 500,000 dollars to support the senator from the state of Georgia. When the opponent of the future senator found out that his opponent was supported by the clan, he immediately "threw White flag”, i.e. chose to give in.
During the Second World War, the activity of the clan began to decline due to excessive reactionaryness, and on April 28, 1944, due to non-payment of taxes in the amount of 685.305 dollars 8 cents, the Invisible Empire announced in Atlanta financial insolvency and self-dissolution. So that two years later, like a Phoenix bird, again be reborn from the ashes.

On the ruins of an empire
The third birth of the Ku Klux Klan occurred in 1946, in the same Atlanta. One of the last "great wizards" of the Clan was Samuel Greene, a "vampire" from 1922 who became the "great dragon" of Georgia in the early 1930s.
However, the unified, centralized "Invisible Empire" came to a natural end. Even under the chairmanship of Green, the clan was more or less obedient in his hands, but already thoroughly bursting at the seams. In the 40s, all clan organizations in the states of South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama consisted of 10 thousand people.
In 1949 Green died and the "empire" collapsed. In the southern states, separate, independent clan organizations are being formed. The most famous "kingdom" was the "Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of America", which arose in 1949 in Alabama, claiming to be the leader of the Ku Klux Klan of the United States.
The split also occurred within these small organizations. Thus, in the “kingdom” of Georgia, local “claverns” in Columbus and Manchester separated, forming the “Genuine Southern Clans of America”, headed by 23-year-old World War II veteran Elton Pate, who proclaimed “a merciless fight against the doctrine communist party”, defending American Protestantism and opposed national minorities.
The abolition of school segregation in 1954 caused great dissatisfaction among all clanists. in this case, separate education for white and black children. Despite the quarrels and strife within the Clan, the "vampires" were, as in the old days, ardent haters of the "non-Americans", incl. blacks. So, in the city of Mobile (Alabama) in January 1957, the Klan blew up three houses in one night, made armed raids on three houses of Negroes, burned down a Negro house and a school building. Total from 1955 to 1965. racists of the South killed 85 people, including 69 blacks and 8 white fighters for the rights of the "colored population" of the United States.
By the beginning of the 80s. 20th century The Ku Klux Klan continued to exist in a fragmented form. The most famous 16 formally independent organizations. The largest are the "United Clans of America - Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" in the city of Tuscaloosa, and the "National Federation of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" in Louisiana.
At present, the state of affairs in the Ku Klux Klan is almost unknown, in large part due to secrecy, which is the first rule of the "Invisible Empire", which still exists today, but not on such a scale as in past times. It is no coincidence that one of the oaths of the "vampire" was and continues to be the following phrase: "I would rather die than betray the secrets of the clan." In some "caves" coffins are prepared, on which the inscription: "This box is prepared for a talker" is made.
Very interesting is the fact that the leaders of various US clans often visit Russia. First of all, this is a character like David Duke. He began his career as the leader of a small white racist organization in State University Louisiana in the early 1970s. Now he is 50, and he is the national director of the clan. However, you should not take this position seriously, because other clans do not recognize him as such. In 2000, he was in our country twice. He even told reporters that he intended to settle here. Until he carried out his intention. True, most likely, it was not Russia that he liked so much. It's just that the FBI is looking for him at home. It seems that he appropriated the money of his associates, which he invested in the gambling business and lost. But he doesn't like to talk about it. He usually says that Russia - last bastion white race, not yet tainted with mixed marriages. Naturally, because in the USA the coordinator has nothing more to catch.
What the clan has become today is amazing: a once great and terrible organization is now a small gathering of degenerates, led by leaders who just want to earn a little money. The clansmen of the last century would have turned over in their graves if they knew that their followers had become, almost, the defenders of blacks. Here is what the same Duke says: “We do not kill blacks. This is a misconception about the clan. It's just that people used to join the clan who wanted to take advantage of the symbols and position of the clansman to kill. If we killed blacks, we would be arrested all the time. Some small clans still claim that they are fighting blacks. On the one hand, it's just ridiculous. On the other hand, we often think, are they provocateurs? Do they want to compromise the clan?”
Today, clansmen fuss about only one reason - they want their rights to be respected. For example, a few years ago they sued New York Mayor Giuliani, who forbade them to rally in overalls and caps. The Klan is suing New York City Hall to overturn the ban on the White Pride March. And the Federal District Court allowed them to march in Manhattan. The court also banned the arrest of marchers if they don their traditional hats, as it considered it illegal. Indeed, why arrest more clown-like racists who, despite the 21st century outside the window, still dream of a black and white world?

The secret society was founded by former southern soldiers after the Civil War (1861-1865). The crimes of the Ku Klux Klan were usually preceded by a warning sent in a bizarre but well-known form. In some parts of the country it was an oak branch with leaves, in others it was melon seeds or orange seeds. Having received such a warning, the victim could either renounce his former views or leave the country. If a person ignored the warning, death awaited him.

The first Ku Klux Klan was founded in the 1860s in the southern United States, but by the early 1870s the movement ceased to exist. At that time, they sought to overthrow the Republican government of the States in the South, especially using violence against the Negroes. At the same time, the famous white costumes appeared, consisting of a mantle, a mask and a conical headdress, created specifically for intimidation.

The second Ku Klux Klan was spread throughout the country in the early and mid-1920s. Members of the Ku Klux Klan used the same white suits and passwords, but a new symbol was introduced - a burning cross.

The third Ku Klux Klan emerged after World War II as a reaction to the minority civil rights movement. The second and third Ku Klux Klans advocated giving special rights to the descendants of the first U.S. citizens who won the Revolutionary War. All three organizations have a rich track record of terrorist attacks, although historians [ which?] question the extent to which the leadership of the second Ku Klux Klan supported the practice. Contrary to popular belief, this organization has never been political.

origin of name

Appearance of members of the Ku Klux Klan

Probably, the name is derived from other Greek. κύκλος - circle, wheel, and English. clan - tribal community, clan (among the Scots and Irish). There is also a version that the name is associated with the characteristic sound (clatter) of a rifle bolt when it is brought into combat condition. Another version suggests that the name comes from lat. cucullo - hood.

Prerequisites for the emergence of the organization

Captain John S. Lester (1834-1901), Christian, denomination unknown;
Major James R. Crowe (1838-1911), Presbyterian;
Adjutant Calvin E. Jones (1839-1872), son of Judge Thomas M. Jones, member of the Episcopal Church;
Captain John B. Kennedy (1841-1913) religious affiliation unknown;
Private Frank O. McChord (1839-1895), Methodist;
Richard R. Reid, Southern Army Veteran, military rank and years unknown, Presbyterian.

It was Reid who suggested the name "Knights of Kyklos"("kyuklos, or kyklos (κύκλος)" from Greek - circle, circumference), but before that there was a society " Knights of the golden ring»(eng. Knights of the golden circle), then the Scot Kennedy suggested the word "clan", which meant clan, family, connection of close people.

First stage

Nathaniel Bedford Forrest

At first, they only frightened people, the killings did not start right away. For example, they galloped through the streets of the city, wrapped in white sheets, which amazed and horrified the inhabitants of the city, and entertained them.

Because of their superstitions, at first the Negroid population mistook the clansmen for the souls of the dead Confederates (that is, southerners). Fear passed only in 1866, when there were wounded and killed among the members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The society was very popular among people who fought on the side of the South, also among racists and former members of secret societies. They organized branches called "dens". From 1865 to 1867 the latter numbered more than a hundred. And by 1868, all the terrorist organizations of the southerners united around them.

The year 1867 is significant in that in April representatives of several states gathered for a kind of illegal congress, where the KKK was reorganized. Firstly, the name was changed: Ku Klux Klan instead of Kuklux Klan, and secondly, Nathaniel Bedford Forrest, a former general of the army of the South, became the leader of the movement. He was given the title of "Grand Master". At the same time, a constitution was developed, called the "Order", which spoke about the goals of the organization: to save the country from the invasion of blacks, the white race from humiliation and give blacks rights that are convenient only for whites. It included an oath not to allow equality between whites and blacks.

Structure of the KKK

A rather complex organizational structure was developed. The society itself was called "Invisible Empire of the South" (eng. Invisible empire of the south), the head is "The Great Sage" (eng. Grand wizard), in which there was a council of 10 "Geniuses". Each state is a "Kingdom" ruled by a "Great Dragon" and a headquarters of 8 Hydras. In each "kingdom" there are "domains", at the head of the "domains" are "Great tyrants" with assistants ("Furies"). "Domains" consist of "provinces", in which the "Great Giants" and 4 "Houses" dominate. There were other positions: "Cyclopes", "Great Magi", "Great Treasurers", "Great Guards", "Great Turks", etc. Each had his own duties. The rank and file members are "Vampires". There was also the “Great Standard Bearer”, who kept and protected the “Great Banner”, that is, the regalia. Despite this complex system, the clan was still poorly organized, although there was coordination between the local "caves" and "domains", the society still did not lead a global policy. There were no significant disagreements between the "caves" and "domains".

Distribution area

Organization size

According to the "Grand Master" Forrest (1868), the Klan consisted of over 550 thousand people, according to other sources - 2 million. By the end of 1868, the number of its members reached 600 thousand people. Most of them were soldiers and officers of the southern army.

Disguise

Members of the organization came up with many other names for the cells, so that when a clansman was sworn in, he could say that he was not in the KKK, but in some kind of "White Brotherhood" or in the society "Knights of the White Camellia", or "Guardians of the Constitution", “Knights of the Black Cross”, etc. Mystical behavior, mysterious processions are an obligatory attribute of the clan. Characteristic features - secrecy and secrecy - are necessary for the conspiracy of ordinary members in order to frighten the Negroes. Often it was enough to make it clear to the "unwanted person" about his uselessness, as he immediately moved to another place.

The organization had a complex system of conspiracy. The members never openly gathered in one place. For the publicity of secrets, death was supposed. There was a complex system of appearances and passwords. Each member of the organization necessarily had a whistle and knew certain signals. None of the members ever knew in advance either the place of the next meeting or the real names of other members of the organization.

Terrorism

Members of the organization against the background of the famous symbol of the "burning cross"

Acceptance of children into the Ku Klux Klan, 1948

Although researchers agree that the organization did not originate as a terrorist organization, but as a secret society with vague goals similar to Masonic ones, it began to develop precisely with racist overtones. Every year, with the increase in power and the number of members of the organization, the number of victims and the degree of cruelty grew.

A sophisticated information network was set up for murder and arson. Groups, depending on the operation, from 10 to 500 people, acted extremely quickly and did not leave witnesses. The killings became brutal, the victims were hanged, drowned, maimed.

Measures of the American authorities

As a result, the clansmen achieved great power in almost all states of the South. The harsh laws of the governors did not help, but the society did not exist for long, until the federal government began to interfere in their activities.

In both Carolinas, where the Ku Klux Klan was especially strong, its cruelty went beyond all bounds, and the governor turned to the president for a military solution to the issue. In other states, the intervention of the federal government was required, where there were ardent opponents of such organizations. The most famous and active of these was Benjamin Butler, who made every effort to get an official investigation. It took place in 1870, and the very next year, on the table of the Chief Justice, there was a detailed report on the work done, which stated the following:

... The Ku Klux Klan, or the Invisible Empire of the South, which includes a large number of people of various classes, has its own constitution and laws, commits violent acts against members of the Republican Party. Members of the Klan break into the houses of the black population with the aim of robbery, violence and murder of law-abiding citizens ...

Notes

McVeigh, Rory. "Structural Incentives for Conservative Mobilization: Power Devaluation and the Rise of the Ku Klux Klan, 1915-1925". Social Forces, Vol. 77, no. 4 (Jun., 1999), p. 1463
Ku Klux Klan, -A. Lopatin V. V., Nechaeva I. V., Cheltsova L. K. Uppercase or lowercase? Orthographic dictionary. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - S. 238. - 512 p.. In the literature there is a variant of the spelling "Kukluksklan". A. Kryukovskikh. Dictionary of Historical Terms, 1998
, McFarland, 1999.
Elaine Frantz Parsons, "Midnight Rangers: Costume and Performance in the Reconstruction-Era Ku Klux Klan." Journal of American History 92.3 (2005): 811-36, in History Cooperative.
Michael Newton, The Invisible Empire: The Ku Klux Klan in Florida.
Ku Klux Klan // Basket - Kukunor. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1953. - S. 632. - (Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 51 volumes] / ch. ed. B. A. Vvedensky; 1949-1958, v. 23).
"Authentic history, Ku Klux Klan, 1865-1877".
W. Wilson. A History of the American People, vol. 5. New York, 1931, p. 63.
"Report of the Joint Committee on Reconstruction", Part 2, p. 218; Part 3, p.38.
Ku Klux Klan. White movement in the USA. - M.: FERI-V, 2001. - ISBN 5-94138-003-8
- the text of the law. (English)
Michael Donald
Hate on Display™

Literature

Kennedy, Stetson. I was in the Ku Klux Klan. - Publishing house of foreign literature, 1955. - 317 p.
Axelrod, Alan. The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies & Fraternal Orders. - New York: Facts On File, 1997.
Barr, Andrew. Drink: A Social History of America. - New York: Carroll & Graf, 1999.
Chalmers, David M. Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan. - Durahm, N.C. :