Ku Klux Klan Research Papers

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Krystal Walker 9/15/08 9 week project These two tokens fall within a branch of coin collecting (numismatics) called "exnonumia." The fist one has a Nazi swastika cut out of it, along with the date 1943 and Adolf Hitler. the second token has the letters KKK cut out of it, and has the words "member in good standing' printed on it. The tokens have no monetary value and have never been in circulation for value, but have been used for trading during their time period. they each have a hole punched through the top, they have also been used as identification. Members of the KKK would wear them around their neck as a medallion to show their good standing in the clan, the same goes for Nazi soldiers. Both groups of people have shaped world history…show more content…
Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is the name of several past and present secret domestic terrorist organizations in the United States, generally in the southern states, that are best known for advocating white supremacy and acting as vigilantes while hidden behind conical masks and white robes. The KKK has been known to utilize terrorism, violence, and lynching to intimidate and oppress African Americans, Jews, and Roman Catholics during periods of turmoil. The first Klan was founded in 1865 by veterans of the Confederate Army. Their main goal is to permute white supremacy in the aftermath of the American Civil War. 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. Members used ceremonial cross burning to intimidate victims and demonstrate its power. Murders and violence by the Klan were most numerous in the South, which had a tradition of lawlessness. The name Ku Klux Klan has since been used by many independent groups opposing the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, researchers estimate there may be more than 150 Klan chapters with 5,000-8,000 members nationwide. The U.S. government classifies them as hate groups, with operations in separated small local
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