The Ku Klux Klan and Related American Racialist and Antisemitic Organizations

Book excerpt: Although the Ku Klux Klan can be traced from the 1700s through the Civil War and is still evolving at present, many people fail to realize its reach and influence. Some perceive the KKK as merely a radical racist group composed primarily of ignorant, uneducated members, but it is much more. Some Klan groups are political, while others are simply social. Some "meet and eat" like any mainstream civic or church group, but others are focused on well-planned violence. Not all Klan groups advocate an overthrow of the U.S. government, though some do. Avoiding the bias of previous works--written by either Klan apologists or detractors--the author traces the historical development of the Klan and its organization, membership, ideologies and philosophies. Also detailed are the secret oaths of allegiance, the Imperial Wizards, and the concept of Knighthood.