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The Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan. America 1919 to 1939. Aims of the lesson. By the end of this lesson you will Describe the main features of the Ku Klux Klan Describe the history of the Klan and understand the reasons why it grew in the mid 1920s and declined afterwards

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The Ku Klux Klan

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  1. The Ku Klux Klan America 1919 to 1939

  2. Aims of the lesson By the end of this lesson you will • Describe the main features of the Ku Klux Klan • Describe the history of the Klan and understand the reasons why it grew in the mid 1920s and declined afterwards • Evaluate the importance of the Klan in understanding America in the 1920s

  3. Background • After World War One America followed a policy of isolationism • She withdrew from world affairs • Foreign goods had tariffs charged on them • The US government started to restrict the number of people coming into the country • As a result immigrants began to be blamed for all Americas troubles

  4. The Ku Klux Klan • A racist group • Argued that the only true Americans were White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASPs) • Any others – Jews, Catholics, blacks and immigrants were not proper Americans • 100 000 members in 1920 • 5 000 000 members in 1925

  5. Who joined the KKK? • A secret society – members dressed in white robes and wore masks • Spoke in secret codes – Klonversations • Poor whites – blamed blacks for taking jobs • Wealthy politicians • People in the south with a history of hatred towards black people – even the police

  6. What did the KKK do? • Tortured and killed non WASPs • Burned down homes and churches even with people in them • Beat up or lynched anyone who annoyed them – 1882 to 1968 there were 3400 lynching of black people • Set up burning crosses as their symbol in order to intimidate people or to say “we did this”

  7. Was the Klan punished? • Many policemen, politicians, lawyers and Judges were members of the Klan • Most crimes were not even reported let alone punished • Some people were punished in areas that the Klan did not control • After 1925 its numbers fell but it still exists today

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