The KKK quickly adopted violent methods. The increase in murders finally resulted in a backlash among Southern elites who viewed the Klan's excesses as an excuse for federal troops to continue occupation. The organization declined from 1868 to 1870 and was destroyed by President Ulysses S. Grant's prosecution and enforcement under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. In 1915, the second Klan was founded, it preached racism, anti-Catholicism, anti-Communism, nativism, and anti-Semitism. Some local groups took part in lynchings, attacks on private houses and public property, and other violent activities.
The Ku Klux Klan, Knights of White Camellia, and other terrorists murdered thousands of blacks and some whites to prevent them from voting and participating in public life. The KKK was founded in 1865 to 1866. They directed their violence towards black landowners, politicians, and community leaders. They also did this to people who supported Republicans or racial equalities. Many Africans were brave and fought against this treatment.
Lynching is being “put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.” People were being killed without a right. However, people were not just hanged. There were other crimes that included castration, burning at the stake, maiming, dismemberment, etc. This horrendous crime “…seemed to have been an American invention.” This means that we came up with the idea of torturing and
At the time of Ulysses S. Grant's election to the presidency, white supremacists were conducting a reign of terror throughout the South. In outright defiance of the Republican-led federal government, Southern Democrats formed organizations that violently intimidated blacks and Republicans who tried to win political power. The most prominent of these, the Ku Klux Klan, was formed in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1865. Originally founded as a social club for former Confederate soldiers, the Klan evolved into a terrorist organization. It would be responsible for thousands of deaths, and would help to weaken the political power of Southern blacks and Republicans.
Jim Crow laws (named after a black character in minstrel shows) were rigid laws used to discriminate against blacks. They were established in southern states and Border States between the 1870’s through the mid 1960’s. These laws were put into place to support the idea that blacks were inferior the whites. Pro-segregationists believed that any interaction between the black and white races would lead to a race that would cause the downfall and destruction of America. Jim Crow laws were used to insure that no blacks and whites would intermarry or
The American Civil Rights movement was a very treacherous and horrific time in American history. African Americans were long censored in this country and they finally took a stand to make American citizens follow what the constitution says, “All men are created equal”. For activists, such as Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr., this journey to bring their people justice would certainly not be an easy one. Although they both wanted the same thing, both of these activists had very different thoughts and ways to make it happen. In order to reach this desired goal that they have been awaiting, strategies were much needed.
The Ku Klux Klan also known as the KKK, was a secret and deadly organization who targeted African Americans. They would be seen dressed head to toe in white cloaks. Their violent attacks were not random, targeting any black or white person trying to promote equality and social rights. African Americans were called cruel names, they received unfair treatment, and were deprived of their rights as citizens of the United States of America all because they were black (Novak, Julie). It wasn’t until the Civil Rights Era with bus boycotts and protests for equality that the skies began to clear for African Americans
During this time period the KKK was especially vicious because of African-Americans newly found unity and confidence. Life for African Americans was extremely difficult during the 1960's, especially in the South. This was because the South was the stomping grounds for the KKK. Birmingham, Alabama was a center point for the Civil Rights Movement. This made the 16th Street Baptist Church an obvious target for the Klan.
the new organization consist White League and the Red Shirts, started a fresh round of violence aimed at suppressing blacks black voting and running Republicans out of office'. These contributed to segregationist white Democrats regaining political power in all the Southern states. Klan members adopted masks and robes that hid their identities and managed night attacks. Many of them operated in small towns and rural areas where people otherwise knew each other's
The character Mr Robert Ewell is supposed to represent racism and we can see this by his action for example ‘Mr Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life.’ White people wanted to make sure that they were on the upper hand than black people. In the Deep South around 3700 people were lynched and we can see this in To Kill a Mockingbird when a mob came to take Tom Robinson to have him lynched. Though Scout came to the rescue by making the people go back to their homes, murder did happen numerous times in America in the 1930s. A real life example is Emmet Till, who was murdered in Mississippi at the age of 14 after reportedly flirting with a white woman. He was from Chicago, visiting his relatives in the Mississippi where he spoke to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, a married woman.