Evolution of the Ku Klux Klan Essay Example

Despite the cultural diversity of the United States, being primarily an immigrant country, it has experienced different phases in its history, in which people's actions have been informed by their opinion of other races considered minor to the dominant race. In particular, white supremacy has often been an issue of concern, as exemplified by the perception of the outlawed Ki Klux Klan. The Klan, over the years, has experienced defeat and lost its popularity, but its impact in the American society has been experienced twice, once in the nineteenth century following its formation and the second time during its resurgence in the 1920s. In both cases, white supremacy influenced its success, and social efforts against the clan led to its collapse.

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American nationalism was the primary cause of the resurgence of the Klan in the 1920s. In particular, American citizens wished to restore the former cultural environment of the United States as was the case in the nineteenth century, and the nostalgic effect of such an environment led the Klan to speak in membership in the 1920s to more than three million members (Harcout 159). The rituals and activities of the Klan at the time targeted not only the African Americans in the country, but also the Italians, Jews, and other people considered immigrants and not native white citizens of the country. Consequently, the primary objective of the Klan had been to advance white supremacy, a rhetoric that resonated positively with majority of the white people in the country.

On the contrary, the Ku Klax Klan of the nineteenth century had been politically motivated. White people opposed to the policies of radical reconstructions after the end of the American civil war formed the group in opposition to the emancipation of the slaves in the country (Robb 225). Consequently, the primary reason for its existence lay in the efforts to instill fear among the freed slaves in the south and their white sympathizers, to the extent that they would limit their participation in civil activities. Ultimately, the level of violence meted out by the Klan's members against the African Americans led to government intervention and an eventual disbandment of the Klan.

Clearly, white supremacy has always been an issue influencing the resurgence of the Klan, as such is the primary motivation behind its formation (Proctor 457). Such forms the primary source of similarity between the Klan in the nineteenth century, and the group in the twentieth century. However, a difference exists in the reason for its disbandment in both periods. While the government was actively involved in ending the Klan's activities in the nineteenth century, the twentieth century success was primarily based on activism from different groups that dissuaded Americans from joining the organization, which ultimately reduced its impacts in the country.

Conclusion

In conclusion, racial issues have been the primary source of motivation behind the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. Although the society may have improved in the level of cultural tolerance among the different cultures in the American society, some issues related to liberalism and conservatism still divide the country. In the event that the issues advanced so much as to influence the citizens into looking back at the society pre-liberalization, there could be a potential resurgence in the Klan activities, albeit with a different agenda.

Works Cited

Harcourt, Felix. "Not a Catholic Nation: The Ku Klux Klan Confronts New England in the 1920s by Mark Paul Richard." The Catholic Historical Review, vol. 103, no. 1, 2017, pp. 159-160.

Proctor, Bradley D. "The KK Alphabet": Secret Communication and Coordination of the Reconstruction-Era Ku Klux Klan in the Carolinas." The Journal of the Civil War Era 8.3 (2018): 455-487.

Robb, Frances Osborn. "Two Men in Ku Klux Klan Disguises": A Photograph from Reconstruction Alabama." Alabama Review, vol. 70, no. 3, 2017, pp. 222-246.