Klu Klux Klan founded

Historical Context Note

Lucas Paul Richert (University of Saskatchewan)
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In 1866, the Ku Klux Klan was formed secretly in the South to terrorize blacks and fight Radical Reconstruction. The organization was disbanded in 1869-1871. The organization started in Nashville, Tennessee, and its members fought for the restoration of white supremacy in the South. The organizational hierarchy saw a Grand Wizard as the leader. Below him were Grand Dragons, Grand Titans, and Grand Cyclopses. Nathan Bedford Forrest, a cavalry general during the Civil War, was the organizationÆs first supreme leader. Klansmen carried out acts of terror after the creation of the group; such acts included evening raids, whippings, and lynchings. In 1869, however, Forrest ordered that the Ku Klux Klan be formally disbanded. Despite the …

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Citation: Richert, Lucas Paul. "Klu Klux Klan founded". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 February 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=5968, accessed 26 November 2024.]

5968 Klu Klux Klan founded 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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