DOCSLIB.ORG

The Appeal of the Second Ku Klux Klan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Masaryk University Faculty of Education Department of English Language and Literature The Appeal of the Second Ku Klux Klan Diploma Thesis Brno 2018 Supervisor Michael George, M.A. Author Bc. et Bc. Iva Kubíčková Egertová Declaration Prohlašuji, že jsem závěrečnou (bakalářskou, diplomovou, rigorózní, disertační práci) vypracoval/a samostatně, s využitím pouze citovaných literárních pramenů, dalších informací a zdrojů v souladu s Disciplinárním řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity a se zákonem č. 121/2000 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o změně některých zákonů (autorský zákon), ve znění pozdějších předpisů. I hereby declare that I worked on this thesis independently and that I used only the sources mentioned in the bibliography section. …..................................................... Bc. et Bc. Iva Kubíčková Egertová Brno, 30 March 2018 Acknowledgement I would like to thank to my supervisor Michael George, M.A. for his help and valuable advice during the process of writing this thesis. I would also like to thank to Scott M. Waring, Ph.D., who helped me to find some valuable information regarding this thesis. Table of Contents Declaration ....................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgement ............................................................................................ 3 Table of Contents ............................................................................................. 4 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 6 1 The First Klan ................................................................................................ 8 2 Establishment of the Second Ku Klux Klan ................................................. 10 2.1 Leo Frank and Mary Phagan‘s Murder ................................................. 10 2.2 William Joseph Simmons – Founder of the Second Ku Klux Klan ........ 12 3 Expansion of the Klan in 1920s ................................................................... 15 3.1 Evans Taking Control over the Invisible Empire ................................... 16 3.2 The Klan‘s Vigilantism .......................................................................... 19 3.3 The Klan as a Profitable Business Organization ................................... 23 3.4 The Ku Klux Klan in Politics .................................................................. 27 4 ―The Birth of a Nation‖ as One of Successful Recruiting Tools ................... 30 4.1 ―The Birth of a Nation‖ and Woodrow Wilson........................................ 32 4.2 Analysis of the film ................................................................................ 33 4.2.1 The Plot.......................................................................................... 34 4.2.1.1 Part I: The Civil War ................................................................ 34 4 4.2.1.2 Part II: Reconstruction ............................................................. 35 4.2.2 Blackface in ―The Birth of a Nation‖ ............................................... 41 5 Who were Klansmen? ................................................................................. 43 5.1 The Ku Klux Klan as a populist group ................................................... 46 5.2 Women in the Klan ............................................................................... 48 6 The Klan‘s Hierarchy and Rituals ................................................................ 53 6.1 The Kloran and the Constitution of the Klan ......................................... 53 6.2 The Klan‘s Rituals ................................................................................. 55 6.3 Klonversation ........................................................................................ 57 7 Decline of the Second Ku Klux Klan ............................................................ 58 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 61 Bibliography ................................................................................................... 64 Anotace .......................................................................................................... 72 Klíčová slova .................................................................................................. 72 Abstract .......................................................................................................... 73 Key Words ..................................................................................................... 73 Appendices .................................................................................................... 74 5 Introduction The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan became a phenomenon of the 1920s America. Hooded men marching through the streets of American towns and cities, burning crosses in the fields were an inspiration to some and dread to others. In 1915, William J. Simmons, along with sixteen of his followers, climbed the Stone Mountain where they burned a cross and established the new Klan as a patriotic fraternal order. The original Klan was based on its disdain towards African-Americans, this new order despised not only African-Americans, but also Jews, Catholics, immigrants, or people of low morals. The Klan tried to bring back the tradition of white Protestant America. And to a degree, it succeeded. Millions of members in the early 1920s are a proof of it. This thesis describes both the Klan‘s expansion and decline in the 1920s and tries to explain the appeal of the organization to such a wide spectrum of Americans. The leaders of the Klan used various techniques of attracting potential recruits. One of these techniques was certainly the film ―The Birth of a Nation.‖ There is a chapter dedicated to the movie, as it was not a recruitment tool only for the second Klan, but was used until 1960s. Other beneficial tactics of recruiting new members are also part of this paper. The thesis covers descriptions of the Klan‘s rituals, hierarchy, or its Constitution and holy text Kloran. The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was a fraternal organization open only to men. That does not mean women did not have opinions similar to men‘s. An auxiliary called the Women of the Ku Klux Klan was established in 1923 and is briefly discussed in this paper, too. 6 The thesis also describes the Klan‘s involvement in politics despite its claims it is not a political body. Due to very limited availability of resources about this topic in the Czech Republic, the majority of the sources were either downloaded, found, or purchased online. Some books were ordered in printed form from the USA. 7 1 The First Klan After the Civil War, the South found itself in chaos. All the beliefs of the southerners were turned upside down. Economy was slow, their slaves were freed, and people knew their lives would never be the same as they were before the war. The first Ku Klux Klan was formed in the town Pulaski in Tennessee by several former Confederate officers in December 1865. Those soldiers had come from the front to find their homes disheveled. They were not happy about the outcome of the war, and they were not happy about the freedom their slaves suddenly had. This led to the establishment of the first Klan ever. Its name is probably derived from the Greek word kuklos which means circle (Lingea), then, the founders added the word clan spelled with k, probably to achieve alliteration. At first, the Ku Klux Klan was a loosely organized secret group of political and social terrorists. (Bryant) The members of the Klan would often go for night rides on horseback to attack mostly African-Americans. ―Klansmen stated that they were only vigilantes acting in the public interest.‖ (Miller 967) By this public interest they meant lynching and harassing not only former slaves, but also white Republicans. In 1867, the mainly Republican Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, which started a period known as Radical Reconstruction. The Acts included measures such as division of the South into five military districts, a permission to all males to participate in constitutional conventions, or voting rights for all men regardless of their race. As the Klan did not agree with the Acts, it evolved into a political organization. (Bryant) Former Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest served as the leader – called Grand Wizard – of the organization. ―Under Forrest‘s control, the Ku Klux Klan became a major force of counterrevolution in Tennessee and the rest of the South.‖ (Wills 337) Even though Forrest believed in the power of 8 persuasion and tried to force it in the Klan, he failed and individual factions struggled for control. (Ku Klux Klan – History) Only two years later, Forrest was forced to officially disband the organization, but it still continued in a loosely organized system. (Miller 967) Small cells kept raiding harassing African-Americans and Republicans and their violence kept growing. (Ku Klux Klan Act) The real end of the first Klan brought the Enforcement Acts, specifically so called Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. This act, originally requested by president Ulysses S. Grant, was introduced to protect African-Americans from the Klan‘s violence. It also included the possibility to declare martial law. After that, the Klan slowly faded away and ended its existence along with the Reconstruction period.
Recommended publications
  • The Ku Klux Klan in American Politics

    The Ku Klux Klan in American Politics

    L I B RARY OF THE UN IVERSITY OF ILLINOIS "R3GK. cop. 2. r ILLINOIS HISTORY SURVEY LIBRARY The Ku Klux Klan In American Politics By ARNOLD S. RICE INTRODUCTION BY HARRY GOLDEN Public Affairs Press, Washington, D. C. TO ROSE AND DAVE, JESSIE AND NAT -AND, OF COURSE, TO MARCIA Copyright, 1962, by Public Affairs Press 419 New Jersey Avenue, S. E., Washington 3, D.C. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 61-8449 Ste3 >. V INTRODUCTION There is something quite frightening about this book. It is not so much that Dr. Rice recounts some of the brutalities and excesses of the Ku Klux Klan or even that he measures the intelligence of those who led the cross-burners as wanting; indeed, those of us who lived through the "kleagling" of the 1920's remember that the Klansmen, while not men, weren't boys either. What is frightening is the amount of practical action the successors to the Klan have learned from it. They have learned not only from the Klan's mistakes but from the Klan's successes. Fortunately, neither the John Birch Society nor the White Citizens Councils nor the revivified Klan nor the McCarthyites have learned well enough to grasp ultimate power. All of them, however, have learned enough so that they are more than an annoyance to the democratic process. Just how successful was the Klan? It never played a crucial role in a national election. The presence of Klansmen on the floor of a national political convention often succeeded in watering down the anti-Klan plank but national candidates, if they chose, could casti- gate the Klan at will.
  • Information to Users

    Information to Users

    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infonnation Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 KLÀNNISHNESS AND THE KU KLUX KLAN: THE RHETORIC AND ETHICS OF GENRE THEORY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Brian Robert McGee, B.S., M.S.
  • The History of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine, 1922-1931

    The History of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine, 1922-1931

    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library 6-1950 The History of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine, 1922-1931 Lawrence Wayne Moores Jr. Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Moores, Lawrence Wayne Jr., "The History of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine, 1922-1931" (1950). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3239. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/3239 This Open-Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE HISTORY OF THE KU KLUX KLAN IN MAINE, 1922-1931 by Lawrence Wayne Moores, Jr. H B. A., University of Maine, 1949 z/P A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History and Government Division of Graduate Study University of Maine Orono June, 1950 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I Fifteen Years of Klanism 1 II Entrance into Maine 27 III The Klan in Maine Politics 47 IV Catholics, Protestants, and the Klan 71 V The Klan in Retrospect 97 VI Bibliography 102 VII Biography 110 THE FIERY CROSS Behold, the Fiery Cross still brilliant! Combined efforts to defame And all the calumny of history Fail to quench its hallowed flame. It shall burn bright as the morning For all decades yet to be Held by hearts and hands of manhood It shall light from sea to sea.
  • Ku Klux Klan Collection, 1913-1970

    Ku Klux Klan Collection, 1913-1970

    Archives and Special Collections University Libraries Ball State University Ku Klux Klan Material Manuscript Collections MSS 45 George R. Dale collection, 1922-1979. 1 box (0.42 linear ft.) George R. Dale was the famed editor and publisher of the Post-Democrat who gained prominence through his battles with the Ku Klux Klan. He was mayor of Muncie from 1930-1935, indicted for violating the prohibition laws in 1932, convicted in the district Federal Court, but was pardoned by President Roosevelt on Christmas Eve, 1933. SC 112 Ku Klux Klan collection, 1913-1970. 1 folder Contains excerpts of Stephenson's letters endorsing Ed Jackson (1924), copies of Klan membership questionnaire, alleged knights of Columbus initiation pledge ( 1913) and photocopies of news clippings from the Greenfield daily reporter regarding the auto damage and death threat which reporter William Shaw received for covering Ku Klux Klan activities in October 1970. SC 192 United Klans of America collection, 1966-1972. 1 folder Contains three issues of the Fiery cross (1966?, May 1972, Aug. 1972), brochures on the principles (religion, race and foreign relations) advocated by Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and photocopies of bulletins, application forms, a short history of the Ku Klux Klan (1961, 4 p.), and advertisement issued by the United Klans of America. SC 735 Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan leaflets and newspaper clippings, 2014. 1 folder Contains an original leaflet and a photocopy of a leaflet that were distributed in Randolph County, Indiana by the Traditional American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in 2014.
  • Ku Klux Klan

    Ku Klux Klan

    If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. KU \ , I, KLUX KLAN A REPORT TO THE ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY t;J ~ . ~t ., E J : li,:( {.:.<~ ~,' i .,i i " ,.~ i 1 , .. ,p~~ ; £~C(, .:~.~} ... t <.) ~ '":~~:~ ,~ \ BYTHE ILLINOIS LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATING COMMISSION 300 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606 Telephone (312) 793-2606 ,= OCTOBER 1976 I. Printed bv the Authoritv of the State of Illinois Twenty-Five Hundred Copies TABLE OF CONTENTS HOUSE RESOLUTION 146.................................. iii LETTER TO HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY... v INTRODUCTION. • . • . 1 Chapter 1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE KU KLUX KLAN A. Introduction.............................. 3 B. Origin of the Ku Klux Klan................ 3 C. Transformation and Growth of the Ku Klux Klan. ... 5 D. Decline of the Klan....................... 10 E. Romanticizing the Klan.................... 11 F. Resurrection of the Ku Klux Klan.......... 16 G. 1950's Klan Revival....................... 23 H. F.B.I. Investigation Breaks the Klan...... 27 I. Present Klan Organizations................ 29 Chapter 2 ORGANIZATION OF THE KU KLUX KLAN A. Introduction.............................. 31 B. Invi sible Empire ......................... It 32 C. Adminis'trative and Command Structure...... 32 D. Purposes of the KKK....................... 35 E. Functions of Local Klans .............. ,... 37 F. A Final Comment on Klan Organization...... 38 Chapter 3 BRIEF HIS~ORY OF THE KLAN IN ILLINOIS A. Introduction.............................. 39 B. The Klan in Illinois during the 1920s..... 39 C. Later Klan Activity....................... 41 Chapter 4 ILLINOIS KLAN'S INITIAL ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITY A. Background. 43 B. The Illinois Klan's Early Organizational Efforts.................................... 44 C. Initial Infiltration of the Illinois Klan ...................... ~ . .. .. 45 D. Split in the Illinois Klan Leadership....
  • The Klan's Constitution

    The Klan's Constitution

    THE KLAN’S CONSTITUTION Jared A. Goldstein* INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 287 I. THE RECONSTRUCTION-ERA KLAN AND THE CONSTITUTION: 1866-1877 ................................................................ 293 A. The Birth of the Ku Klux Klan ..................................................... 293 B. The Klan’s Constitutional Mission .............................................. 299 C. The Deep Roots of the Klan’s Constitutional Vision .................... 304 D. “Forced By Force to Use Force”: The Constitution As Justification for the Klan’s Violence ............................................ 313 E. The Demise of the Klan and the Birth of the Klan Legend............ 317 II. THE SECOND KLAN AND THE CONSTITUTION: 1915-1944 ................... 320 A. The Rise of the Second Klan ........................................................ 321 B. The Second Klan’s Constitutional Mission .................................. 327 C. The Widespread Acceptance of the Klan’s Constitutional Ideology ...................................................................................... 333 D. The Constitution as Justification for the Klan’s Violence ............. 337 E. The Demise of the Second Klan ................................................... 342 III. THE THIRD KLAN AND THE CONSTITUTION: 1944-1971 ...................... 343 A. The Rise of the Third Klan .......................................................... 343 B. The Central Role of the Constitution in the Klan’s

  • Notes on Writing the History of the Ku Klux Klan

    Notes o Notes on Writing N Writi N g the History of the the h i story of the Ku Klux Kla Ku Klux Klan Orange Grove Texts Plus seeks to redefine publishing in an electronic world. a joint venture of the University Press of Florida and The Orange Grove, Florida’s digital repository, N this collaboration provides faculty, students, and researchers worldwide with the latest scholarship and course materials in a twenty- first-century format that is readily discoverable, easily customizable, and consistently affordable. www.theorangegrove.org C almers h David Chalmers IsBN 978-1-61610-158-9 Notes on Writing the History of the Ku Klux Klan UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA Florida A&M University, Tallahassee Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers Florida International University, Miami Florida State University, Tallahassee New College of Florida, Sarasota University of Central Florida, Orlando University of Florida, Gainesville University of North Florida, Jacksonville University of South Florida, Tampa University of West Florida, Pensacola Orange Grove Texts Plus Also by David Chalmers Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan (1965, 1987) And the Crooked Places Made Straight: The Struggle for Social Change in the 1960s (1991, 2013) Backfire: How the Ku Klux Klan Helped the Civil Rights Movement (2003) Notes on Writing the History of the Ku Klux Klan Victory over Reconstruction in the South; Glory Days in the 1920s; Depression-Era Futility in the 1930s; Post World War II: Fragmented but Dangerous; Challenging the Civil Rights Movement in the Southern Streets in the 1960s; and the Long Wait for Justice in Mississippi David Chalmers Distinguished Service Professor of History, Emeritus University of Florida University Press of Florida Gainesville/Tallahassee/Tampa/Boca Raton Pensacola/Orlando/Miami/Jacksonville/Ft.
  • Ku Klux Klan

    Ku Klux Klan

    Ku Klux Klan Civil Rights in the United States, 2000 The Ku Klux Klan was conceived during the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), to address the fears of Southern whites resulting from rapid social and economic changes. The name Ku Klux Klan was derived from the Greek word kuklos, which means "circle of friends." From the beginning the goals of the Ku Klux Klan have always been controversial. Klansmen have claimed that the organization is a Christian, chivalrous, and patriotic society that has benefitted society in general by enforcing the law and through humanitarian efforts. While those committed to old Southern traditions maintained this favorable view, the Klan became most generally associated with the terror of hooded night riders who were responsible for Lynching campaigns directed against people of color. Over the past one hundred and thirty years, the Ku Klux Klan has experienced periods of resurgence and decline. The first Klan was formed by six young Confederate soldiers in the winter of 1865-1866 in Pulaski, Tennessee. By 1867, the organization had grown large enough to hold its first unity convention in Nashville, Tennessee, and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877) was chosen as the first Imperial Wizard. Some suggest that he disbanded the organization two years later, in 1869, in response to public pressures, while others argue that Forrest wanted to distance himself so that he would not be held responsible for Klan violence. Congress passed four anti-Klan laws in 1870 and conducted congressional investigations in 1871. Forrest and others called to testify disavowed their involvement in Klan-related violence.
  • Lldkl. Major Professor

    Lldkl. Major Professor

    REX HOPPER'S LIFE-CYCLE THEORY APPLIED TO THE KU KLUX KLAN APPROVED: lldkL. Major Professor Minor Professor / mittee Member Cha^^^of^^^^^^^^n^of^oclology Dean'of the Graduate School REX HOPPER'S LIFE-CYCLE THEORY APPLIED TO THE KU KLtJX KLAN THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Part ial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Decree of MASTER OF ARTS By William W. Falk, B. A. Denton, Texas August, 1970 TABLE OF CONTENTS P££<s0 LIST OF TABLES . iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .......... 1 The Problem and Its Purposes . Method and Methodology II. DESCRIPTION OF HOPPER1S THEORY . 13 III. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . 25 IV. HISTORY OF THE XU KLUX KLAN. ......... 41 1865 to 18?1 1915 to 1928 195^ to 1970 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 6l Presentation of Findings Interpretation of Findings Suggestions for Future Research BIBLIOGRAPHY 91 ill LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Evolutionary Processes in Social Movements. 8 lv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Problem and Its Purposes A social movement may be defined as "A collectivity- acting with some continuity to promote or resist a change in the society of which it is a part.Social movements have been studied by many twentieth century sociologists, and the work of one of them, Rex Hopper,^ is the basis of this study. Hopper5 s observations of South American revo- lutions and his subsequent postulation of the natural history of South American political revolutions is not merely "armchair philosophizing." Rather, it represents an extension of the work of previous sociologists and historians such as Sorokin, Edwards, Gettys, Blumer, and Brinton.3 Thus, Hopperfs treatise represented a synthesis •'•Ralph H.
  • Boys in Butte: the Ku Klux Klan Confronts the Catholics 1923-1929

    Boys in Butte: the Ku Klux Klan Confronts the Catholics 1923-1929

    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1991 Boys in Butte: The Ku Klux Klan confronts the Catholics 1923-1929 Christine K. Erickson The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Erickson, Christine K., "Boys in Butte: The Ku Klux Klan confronts the Catholics 1923-1929" (1991). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5238. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5238 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY Copying allowed as provided under provisions of the Fair Use Section of the U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW, 1976. Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author’s written consent. University of THE BOYS IN BUTTE: THE KU KLUX KLAN CONFRONTS THE CATHOLICS, 1923-1929. By Christine K. Erickson B. A., University of Montana, 1988 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts University of Montana 1991 Approved by hairman, Boatd of Examiners O j u l a . 5. A?f/ UMI Number: EP40702 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.

  • The Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana, 1920-1930. Kenneth Earl Harrell Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1966 The Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana, 1920-1930. Kenneth Earl Harrell Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Harrell, Kenneth Earl, "The uK Klux Klan in Louisiana, 1920-1930." (1966). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1153. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1153 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. I This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 66-10,903 HARRELL, Kenneth Earl, 1932- THE KU KLUX KLAN IN LOUISIANA, 1920—1930. Louisiana State University, Ph.D., 1966 History, modern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana, 1920 -- 1930 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana .State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by Kenneth Earl Harrell B. A., Southeastern Louisiana College, 1955 M. A., Louisiana State University, 1959 May, 1966 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Sincere thanks to Dr. T. Harry Williams and to Ellen. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
  • By Ed Felien

    By Ed Felien

    Mitch and John BY ED FELIEN It recently came out that the new Republican House Majority Whip Steve Scalise gave a speech to a David Duke group of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in 2002. Scalise claimed he had no idea what the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO) group stood for, or that neo-Nazi and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke was its head. Oh, really? Duke supporters were the base of his support in the suburbs around New Orleans. Scalise never repudiated Duke’s ideas, he just claimed to be more electable. He told Washington newspaper Roll Call in 1999, “The voters in this district are smart enough to realize that they need to get behind someone who not only believes in the issues they care about, but also can get elected. Duke has proven that he can’t get elected, and that’s the first and most important thing.” Twenty years ago he told Stephanie Grace of the Baton Rouge Advocate that he was like David Duke but “without the baggage.” Scalise was one of only six Louisiana legislators to vote against the Martin Luther King holiday. It’s rare that the covert racism of Southern conservatives actually comes out into the open.The history of prejudice in the South has generally been one of hidden codes and obfuscation. Scalise’s case is a rare chance to connect the dots. John Boehner represents the suburbs around Cincinnati, and Mitch McConnell comes from Louisville. They’re just across the Ohio River and less than 100 miles apart, and they’re connected by a curious history.