They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

If you received the kind of education I did, you learned that Reconstruction was a bitter, hateful period in American history. Northern "carpetbaggers" flocked south to pillage the already-ravaged South and enforce despotic tyranny. Southern Republican "scalawags" joined in the profiteering. In defense, Southern whites organized to protect themselves and defend the Southern way of life.. Sure, some of these groups, like the K.K.K. got out of hand, and no one supports lynching, of course, but can you blame them given what they faced?Susan Campbell Bartoletti's "They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group" sets the record straight. Utilizing sources from government and court records to interviews with both K.K.K. members and black and white victims of the K.K.K., along with liberal use of newspaper engravings for illustration, Bartoletti traces the development of the K.K.K. in the period immediately following the end of the Civil War.These sources make it clear that the "Southern way of life" that was being fought for was the way of slavery. Many Southern whites believed that they were superior to the "Negroes" and that God had given them dominion over them. Other Southern whites were simply worried about the economic implications of blacks having their freedom and being able to own land, develop businesses and compete with whites rather than simply providing free labor. In either case, the freeing of the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation and the North's triumph in the "War Between the States" was anathema, and Southern whites responded by trying to restore conditions as close as possible to slavery.Many Northerners, some Southern whites and the freedmen themselves, however, recognized the importance of granting rights to blacks and helping them integrate into civil society. Granted, many of such people had their own economic and political interests in mind, and not all favored fully equal rights for blacks. Nonetheless, the focus of the Republican/Northern efforts was restoring a functioning Union in which the vile institution of slavery was put to rest so that the country could move on with a more progressive future. After all, the North had soundly defeated the South.Immediately after the end of the Civil War, Southern states began implementing "Black Codes" which attempted to restore "order", being, of course, the former master-slave order. They attempted to deny blacks the right to vote, own property, start businesses, etc. In response, Republicans began organizing to help blacks obtain their rights. This angered Southern whites, many of whom were barred from voting because of their support for the Confederacy. White agitators began claiming that the "Negros" would dominate the whites and would abuse and terrify them (Freud would have something to say about projection here).One night six Southern "gentlemen" decided to "get up a club". They dressed up in disguises, including hoods and robes and rode around the countryside crashing parties and causing general mayhem. At first it appears their object was not to harm or terrify anyone, but they soon realized the effect the disguised riders were having on the black population. Many Southerners believed that this was because blacks were more superstitious and fearful of ghosts. For this reason, the night riders often pretended to be the ghosts of dead Confederate soldiers. More likely, however, the blacks simply had the good sense to realize the harm that disguised riders could pose if they decided to turn their attention against the blacks.President Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson, himself a white Southerner, was eager to repair the rift between the North and the South. He pardoned a great number of Confederate officers and sympathizers while restoring voting rights to most former Rebels. Blacks, meanwhile, were struggling to obtain their place in society. They registered to vote in large numbers, they formed schools for adults and children alike, they met to organize and listen to speeches and sermons about equal rights. There was a powerful struggle for who would secure political power. The "club" started by the six men expanded rapidly and began to focus on putting the "Negro" in his place and preventing blacks from voting, educating or organizing. Violence escalated and blacks lived in fear, but nonetheless they continued voting, learning and organizing.With the election of Ulysses S. Grant, victorious Northern general, the federal government intervened more directly to restore order and grant blacks their rights. The Freedman's bureau was established to help protect the blacks from being swindled in business and land deals. Teachers - many Northern whites - were brought in to provide the first education many blacks had ever had. The South was divided up into military districts patrolled by federal troops to maintain order and quash racial violence. All of which Southern whites took as an affront to their self-government, insisting that they had the right to decide for themselves who would be allowed what rights.As racial and political tensions escalated, so too did violence. The Ku Klux Klan had long given up any pretense of being a social club and now claimed to enforce the law and maintain "order". Not only were blacks at risk if they attempted to assert any of their new rights, but whites who helped them were as well. Many blacks and whites were dragged from their beds at night, terrorized, beaten and even killed for the crime of being "uppity". Many blacks (and some whites) ended up sleeping in the woods, afraid to stay in the same place for too long.Eventually federal agents infiltrated the K.K.K. to get evidence on the extent of the violence and terror. Hundreds of Klansmen were arrested in mass round-ups. Admittedly only a small fraction of those were ever tried and even fewer convicted. But it got the message across that the federal government could and would intervene to protect life, property and rights.Unfortunately, Reconstruction was rather short-lived. By the end of the 1870s many white Southerners had returned to power and Northern interests shifted elsewhere. Many of the gains blacks had made were lost to Jim Crow laws, which would not be overturned until the civil rights era many decades later, and which would again require the intervention of the federal government. Bartoletti devotes only a thin chapter to the history of the K.K.K. after Reconstruction, but it is clear that the violence continued.My only criticism of the book is that I wish Bartoletti had devoted a paragraph or two to the reorganization of the Democratic and Republican parties following Lyndon Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act. The book paints Republicans as heroes in the struggle for equal rights, which they were at the time. But times have changed and it's important to note that yesterday's Southern "Dixiecrats" are today's GOP.Every school and public library should have a copy of this profoundly important book and parents should consider adding it to their child's home library. The history contained in this book is an important part of any Civil War/Reconstruction curriculum.

Easy to read introduction, with intriguing illustrations. While very interesting, and worth the quick read, the bulk of the book discusses the first wave of the organization during the reconstruction era, and is in no way a comprehensive study of the entire history of the group or the time frame. Beyond the final chapter, in the epilogue, they mention how the group reestablished their popularity and started their 2nd wave in the early 20th century and briefly mentions the group continues their activities into the 21st century, but is very light on the details and if you want to learn more on that, you'll need other literature. After a decade+ of 21st century civil rights protests, I find the parallels of popular 19th century rhetoric interesting, and it would seem that some things never change.

When a certain group of politicians ban a book, you can almost guarantee that it’s worth reading. This one hit the mark. Bear witness to our history.

A marvelously well-presented, thoroughly researched book! And boy, was it difficult, scary, and sickening to read! Not because of Bartoletti, but because of the subject matter. If one wants to read horror stories, one need look no further than our own human history, at "man's inhumanity to man."* In her book They Called Themselves the K.K.K, Susan Campbell Bartoletti lets you know up front what you're in for. She says in part of her note to the reader at the front of the book: "Whenever possible, I have let the people of the past speak in their own voices. Some of these people use crude language. No matter how difficult it is to see the offensive words in print, I have made no attempt to censor these historical statements. You will see images from pictorial newspapers such as 'Harper's Weekly' and 'Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper' and other sources. These images depict people, events, and viewpoints of the time. Some of the depictions are caricatured and racially offensive. I deeply regret any offense or hurt caused by the images, but again I have chosen not to censor." I appreciate Bartoletti's bold, unflinching and compelling account of this era of history. She puts a terrifyingly human face on the subject of the K.K.K.'s terrorsim, by her liberal use of both the victims and the Klan members' first-person accounts (the Slave Narratives of the 1930's), diaries, historical journals, newspaper reports, etc. Also included are a multitude of photographs and newspaper images from the day. Bartoletti doesn't whitewash anything. She does an excellent job of explaining the many factors surrounding the beginnings of this group, things you won't find well-explained in school history books. This highly readable book will teach you a lot I'll bet you never learned before.*From a poem by Robert Burns (1759-1796) entitled " Man Was Made to Mourn: A Dirge".Many and sharp the num'rous illsInwoven with our frame!More pointed still we make ourselvesRegret, remorse, and shame!And man, whose heav'n-erected faceThe smiles of love adorn, -Man's inhumanity to manMakes countless thousands mourn!Please note that the publishers have labelled this book as suitable for ages 8-12, grades 4 through six. My library has listed this as Young Adult and I would have to concur. I think the subject matter is too graphic for an 8 year old, but of course you as the parent can make your own determination.

This book was included in the list of books, ban by legislature of some southerns states. excellent book. I always new that first terrorist group in the whole wide world was the KKK.

Outstanding book! I needed a book that was not very long but very informative, rich in facts for a larger work I was doing that made reference to the KKK. This book was just perfect. Depressing at times; I would have to put in down for a while as I tried to comprehend how is it so much evil can reside in the hearts of man. The answer: Jeremiah 17:9

This was a tough one to read, but was interesting seeing how it all got started. Well-written and easy to understand. I felt it came to a pretty quick ending.

Un gran libro, con mucha información basada en fuentes de la época. De una manera sencilla pero profunda la autora logra trasladarnos a la formación de este absurdo grupo terrorista llamado Ku Klux Klan y a todos quienes lo apoyaron. También nos transmite el terror y la impotencia de la gente que vivió en carne propia la violencia y agresión de este bien llamado grupo terrorista, tanto con gente negra, como blanca. Ayuda a entender las raíces del racismo actual, que afecta y daña a una hipócrita sociedad norteamericana.

Very interesting book, with a lot of pictures and details. Every Americans should read it for there understanding of the past and present violence in the society.

Brilliant Read.

Produit reçu mais malheureusement abîmé. Des traces de rayures sur la couverture avant et arrière et certaines pages. Les coins de la couverture sont abimés.