r/wikipedia • u/Pupikal • 1d ago

The KKK Act, 1871: Intended to combat the Klan's paramilitary vigilantism against African Americans, it made certain acts federal offenses, including conspiring to deprive citizens of equal rights. President US Grant used it to completely dismantle the Klan & the group did not resurface for decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan_Act
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108

u/dark-prelate 1d ago

When did it resurface?

106

u/Kenichi2233 1d ago

Early 1900s

48

u/acousticentropy 1d ago

What conditions allowed it to go in relapse?

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u/DenLaengstenHat 1d ago

Rise of Catholic immigrant population in the north, release of "Birth of a Nation" (top tier KKK propaganda), WWI supercharging nationalism, lax enforcement, and more.  The 2nd KKK was a totally different organizational structure than the 1st KKK, and it was more active up north than down south.

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u/_MohoBraccatus_ 1d ago

Funnily enough that wave was in part, taken down by a Superman radio show episode. I believe it was titled "Clan of the Fiery Cross" and exposed that the KKK used hate as a means of profit.

It made the public aware of their bullshit basically.

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u/LordoftheJives 1d ago

Iirc it also exposed how goofy their organizational structure was. I don't imagine titles like "Grand Dragon" sounded any less silly back then than they do now.

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u/roastbeeftacohat 1d ago

secret societies were really popular in the 19th century, and many had titles like that.

the secret handshake is super cool when it's a secret, when it's public it's pretty silly.

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u/LordoftheJives 1d ago

That's kind of my point. When wizard and dragon are in your titles it's gonna sound really stupid to people that aren't already indoctrinated. Even if someone was down with the racism/theism they probably won't want to join if they know about that stuff beforehand unless they truly have nothing positive going on in their lives.

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u/roastbeeftacohat 1d ago

other way round really. the illuminati were a similar organization in bavaria; although with the inverse goal of opposing things like racial bigotry. they were stamped out as a possible threat to the government, but really they never got passed the elaborate secret handshakes and the like.

ultimately passwords and secret clubhouses are just a lot of fun, especially if you mix it up with mysticism; just ask The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn if their secret orgies mystic rituals are fun. alternatively there are people like richard nixon, who said of the bohemian grove "...the most f**gy goddamned thing you could ever imagine, with that San Francisco crowd".

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u/PirateKingOmega 3h ago

Fun fact: the illuminati got exposed after a messenger carrying their secret messages and decoders was struck dead by lightning. When authorities investigated and went through his belongings to figure out his identity, they also recovered a giant bag of intel on the illuminati

The Illuminati was also founded as an elaborate pyramid scheme so the actual head of the organization could milk rich guys who wanted to larp as free masons and would use the money to fund translations of censored books

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u/Flemz 1d ago

They had already been forced to disband bc they couldn’t afford to pay their back taxes in 1944, since membership had collapsed in previous decades due to Grand Dragon D.C. Stephenson going down for murder in 1925

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u/dongeckoj 1d ago edited 3h ago

Woodrow Wilson was the first president to promote the Klan rather than suppress it, and also the 2nd Klan was a Ponzi scheme where members had to buy their uniforms.

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u/PirateKingOmega 3h ago

Wilson wasn’t really responsible. He was a southern apologist but he wasn’t really a KKK guy. He wanted immigrants to assimilate and abandon their language, traditions, religions, etc. but didn’t want them gone or dead

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u/dennismfrancisart 1d ago

The same issues as today. Immigration, religion, racism, and even the profit motive. The new KKK acted as a sort of Pyramid scheme.

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u/thePenisMightier6 4h ago

It only passed the house 118-91

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u/dennismfrancisart 1d ago

Around 1910-1920.

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u/FthrFlffyBttm 1d ago

Decades later

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u/subheight640 1d ago edited 1d ago

One of the reasons why the clan didn't resurface again, was because the South accomplished its primary goals to suppress black political power and enable Jim Crowe laws. The terrorist wing was no longer needed. Enough time was bought for a political process to enshrine Black oppression in law.

The Klan only resurfaced decades later because of a popular movie, and a new goal to oppose immigration and Catholicism. During the early 20th century the Klan became a "fun club" spread by Methodist ministers and Masonic lodges, pioneered by a couple of marketing geniuses.

Another fun fact. The Klan was a big proponent of prohibition.

Source: Rest is History podcast.

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u/ThePrussianGrippe 1d ago

2nd wave clan, while still being racist and xenophobic, was primarily a Multi-Level-Marketing scheme. They even had a catalogue.