The KKK is a secret, masked U.S. organization advocading white supremacy, which first
appeared during the reconstruction era after the Civil War. It was revived after WWI,
linked only by name and tradition to the original Klan.
The 19th Century Klan
Christmas Eve 1865: original Ku Klux Klan founded as a social club by six Confederate
veterans Calvin E. Jones, Frank O. McCord, Richard R. Reed, John B. Kennedy, John C.
Lester, James R. Crowe in Pulaski (near Nashville), Tennessee
April 1867: KKK formally organized, General Nathan Bedford Forrest chosen as
Grand Wizard
1869: KKK disbanded by N. B. Forrest
Structure of the Klan
Invisible Empire - Grand Wizard
State Realms - Grand Dragons
County Provinces - Grand Titans
Individual Dens - Grand Cyclopses
Similar Societies to the KKK
Knights of the White Camellia
The White League
The Invisible Circle
The Pale Faces
Principles of the Klan
1. to protect the weak and to relieve the injured and oppressed
2. to protect and defend the Constitution of the U.S. and laws passed in conformity
thereto and to protect the states and people from invasion from any source
3. to aid in the execution of the laws and to protect people from unlawful seizure and
trial except by their peers
The 20th Century Klan
Thanksgiving Day 1915: new KKK organized by Colonel William Joseph Simmons on
Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, Georgia
June 7, 1920: Edward Y. Clarke and Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler bought Klan
1921: Hiram W. Evans replaced Simmons as Head of the Klan
April 23, 1944: KKK disbanded
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