Republiacns! Unfavorable Acts Caused The Rise Of The Kkk :: essays research papers

Republiacns Unfavorable Acts Caused The Rise of The KKK     The years after the civil contend were frustrating times for the Americans.New laws and rules were posted for which to abide by and due to the outcome ofthe civil war, the people from the south had now to accept the new thralldom lawsissued by the political parties and congress. This created turmoil amongst bothnortherners, who mostly were against slavery, and greyers. This was alsotrue for both political parties that consisted of the Republicans and theDemocratics. Again the issue was always on the rights of blacks. The battleswith certain individuals who matt-up it their duty to stand up for their idea ofwhat the American way was.     In 1866, just a year after the civil war, six confederate veterans organise a societal club in the small town of Pulaski Tennessee. These men were setout to perpetuate white supremacy through out the south. The social club becameofficial. The membe rs came up with the name of Ku Klux Klan. It was a name confinen from the Greek word "Kuklos" which means circle. They came up withrituals copied from college fraternities. They also assigned positions tospecial members. They were composed of the noble Cyclop, The President, theGrand Magi, the vice-president, and the Grand Exchequer, the treasurer. TheKlansmen adopt a uniform. The uniforms were white, long robes, White masks,And high pointed hats. ( Ingalls, Hoods 3 )     Adopted during 1866-67, the Republican partys Reconstruction programthreatened to turn southern society upside down. The promise of equal rightsfor blacks flew in the face of the widely held opinion of the white Southernersthat the black race was innately inferior. This deep-seated racist opinion hadserved to justify slavery, and it remained a major obstacle to uplifting blacksafter the civil war. Indeed, Antiblack hatred drove some whites to extrememeasures to resist Reconstruction. ( Ingalls, Hoods 6 )     The Republicans feared that barrings the blacks from governing would makethe Democratics Party dominant again in the south and in congress. Congressdivided the south into five military districts controlled by martial law. Ittook the take away from large numbers of rebel whites. It declared that allblack men could vote and hold office. And it ordered the rebel states to writenew and classless constitutions. Since Tennessee had become the first southernstate to give black men and freed slaves the right to vote, it became mostaffected. ( Meltzer, 23 )     With the republican party controlling state government, exconfederatesbegan to take up arms to oppose Reconstruction.