Ku Klux Klan - Wikipedia
It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction in the devastated South. Various historians have characterized the Klan as America's first terrorist group.
Ku Klux Klan | Definition, Leaders, & History | Britannica
Dec 23, 2025 · The 19th-century Klan was originally organized as a social club by Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866. They apparently derived the name from the Greek …
Ku Klux Klan - Southern Poverty Law Center
In 1865, at the conclusion of the Civil War, six Confederate veterans gathered in Pulaski, Tennessee, to create the Ku Klux Klan, a vigilante group mobilizing a campaign of violence …
Ku Klux Klan (KKK) - U.S. National Park Service
Apr 1, 2016 · As a secret vigilante group, the Klan targeted black freedmen and their allies; it sought to restore white supremacy by threats and violence, including beatings, lynchings, and …
KKK | Ku Klux Klan | The Free Speech Center
Aug 10, 2023 · The first Klan was organized in May 1866 by a group of young Confederate veterans as a prankish social club. Soon, however, it evolved into a secret organization …
The History of the KKK in American Politics - JSTOR Daily
Jan 25, 2017 · This isn’t the first time that so-called white nationalists have been involved with American politics. In the 1920s, during what historians call the Ku Klux Klan’s “second wave,” …
The History of the Ku Klux Klan: Its Origins and Impact
Jan 8, 2025 · The Klan’s activities shaped key moments in history, from undermining Reconstruction to resisting Civil Rights advancements. The group contributed to the creation …