Ku Klux Klan: a Look into The Development of The Extremist Group

The Fall of the Confederacy and the Rise of the Ku Klux Klan

By the spring of 1865, the Confederate forces had conceded their cause to secede from the Union. The Union's victory meant an end to an era in the South, as it abolished slavery and completely upended Southern society. The once prosperous South was now reduced to rubble; impressive cities like Charleston and Richmond were devastated by the war, and their economy was crippled by inflation and unproductive agriculture. In this turmoil, newly freed slaves faced the especially difficult task of finding their place in society, while many white Southerners were worried about the implications that their freedom would have on them. This fear led to the formation of the Ku Klux Klan. Terrorist groups like the Klan were able to thrive in the South because of the turmoil resulting from the war; the South was in disarray, and the outrage of emancipation made blacks targets (Foner, 1988).

Ku Klux Klan: A Look into the Development of the Extremist Group

In 1868, the Ku Klux Klan made it clear that their purpose was to prevent free blacks from exercising their rights and to combat the new social structure that had emerged. During a South Carolina election campaign, they demonstrated they wouldn't tolerate blacks voting, ultimately resulting in the murder of eight black men, two of whom were congressmen (Wade, 1987). From 1870 to 1871, the Klan's activities were especially alarming, as they sought to “oppose negro rule, bayonets... and lawmakers” (Trelease, 1995). During this nine-month period in South Carolina, six murders were blamed on the Klan, and whippings and beatings could have numbered in the hundreds.

Government Intervention and the Enforcement Acts

As the Ku Klux Klan's actions became more heinous and frequent, the federal government needed a way to protect citizens' constitutional rights. Initially, the Enforcement Act was passed to prevent these rights from being violated, but it proved inefficient. Congress later passed a much stronger act, the Ku Klux Act, aimed at people who conspired to deprive citizens of their legal rights. This act allowed President Grant to declare an area under martial law and suspend habeas corpus, but throughout the nation, people argued both for and against this bill. Democrats argued that the bill gave tyrannical and unconstitutional powers to the president, but Republicans like Robert B. Elliott argued that since citizens were being denied a republican form of government, action was necessary to guarantee it to them (Franklin, 1988).

The Federal Crackdown on the Klan

In South Carolina, Klan violence forced refugees, both white and black, to hide in the woods from Klan attacks. The situation became so dire that it was publicized by The New York Times, and Attorney General Akerman urged President Grant to take forceful action to end the crisis. Eventually, Grant was convinced to take decisive action by warning the Klan to disarm within five days, but to no avail. After the five days, Grant suspended habeas corpus, and Akerman began to assemble a list of possible Klansmen. His strategy was to hit several towns suddenly and simultaneously, backed by the 7th Cavalry. Akerman and Grant's strategy was meant to instill panic throughout the Klan, and it was extremely successful. Within 10 days of the proclamation, 100 arrests were made, and by the end of November, 600 arrests were made (Horn, 1939).

The Ku Klux Court Cases

The first person to be put on trial in the Ku Klux court cases was Robert Hayes Mitchell. Mitchell was an ordinary farmer, a subordinate of the Klan, but he provided an important testimony to the federal government detailing the inner workings of the Klan and its crimes. The case also revealed an elaborate series of signs and passwords used by the Klan to maintain secrecy and identify each other, as well as the Klan's constitution and its deadly oath of secrecy. Another count of conspiracy against Mitchell dealt with the assault against a black man and his family. In the end, defense attorney Reverdy Johnson could not dispute the charges of Klan violence and declared that they were “... brutes, insensible to the obligations of humanity and religion” (Lester, 2009).

The Waning Government Efforts and the End of Reconstruction

Throughout 1872, Klan arrests continued in South Carolina, but it appeared that the government's war against the Klan was coming to an end. Funding for the ongoing Klan prosecutions was lacking, and in January 1872, Attorney General Akerman resigned from his position. Akerman's successor was less concerned with the Klan violence, even when a federal marshal was murdered and a prosecution witness had his throat slit. That same year, Congress decided to restore habeas corpus, which hindered the authorities' ability to detain and prosecute suspected Klan members. By August, convicted Ku Kluxers began to be pardoned, and the war came to an end when in 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes ordered the end of Reconstruction (Foner, 2014).

The Legacy of the Klan's Terror

The government's decision to suspend habeas corpus in South Carolina was a controversial issue at the time. Some people argued that suspending habeas corpus was a tyrannical decision, but I believe it was necessary to bring an end to the Klan's terrorist behavior. By suspending habeas corpus, the government could imprison suspected Klan members more efficiently and help protect the rights of those they terrorized. In 1876, the Supreme Court reached the decision that the Ku Klux Act was unconstitutional and that it had unjustly superseded states' rights. Although the Supreme Court reached this decision, suspending habeas corpus was necessary to guarantee Blacks and any others whom the Klan terrorized a republican form of government (Linde, 1984).

Comparisons to Modern-Day Terrorism

Although they take place in disparate settings, the 1871 war on terror against the KKK and the current war against Al-Qaeda share some similarities. Both groups aimed to terrorize the enemies of their ideologies; white Southern supremacists wanted to terrorize blacks and their sympathizers, while Al-Qaeda targets enemies of their version of radical Islam. Both groups also rose to prominence after great turmoil rocked their respective regions; in the South, the KKK was created after the American Civil War, and Al-Qaeda formed following a war against Russia. These regions were devastated following the wars, allowing extremism to grow in their ruins, and in response, the American government took drastic measures to fight against both terrorist groups. Grant suspended habeas corpus to end the KKK's reign of terror, and the US invaded Iraq partly to combat terrorist organizations (Bergen, 2006).

Conclusion

In summary, the end of the Civil War left the South in shambles, and Southerners now had to deal with the fact that blacks were free and could advance in society. The outrage of this truth led Southerners to take action against freed blacks and take whatever steps necessary to keep them subservient. The Ku Klux Klan was a terrorist organization that formed in response, with the purpose of terrorizing freed blacks and anyone who opposed their racist ideologies. For a time, the Klan acted without opposition, murdering, beating, and whipping people in the South, but a public outcry against these terrorists forced the government to act.

Grant's Administration and Its Efforts

It was Grant's administration that was tasked with combating terrorism propagated by the KKK in the South. Klan activity occurred throughout the South, but in South Carolina, it was especially violent. Congressmen and ordinary citizens were murdered during the KKK's reign of terror. They were disguised for their own protection, but that didn't stop Grant's administration from ascertaining their identities. Grant later suspended habeas corpus in counties suspected of harboring Klan members, and eventually, hundreds of Klan members were arrested and convicted for their crimes. Although these were significant actions, racism wasn't eradicated, but it struck fear into Southerners who would dare to terrorize others (McFeely, 1981).