The Ku Klux Klan: The First Era With the ending of the Civil War in 1865, the period of American history known as It was during this era that the Ku Klux Klan, a whitesupremacist group, spunoff from the freemasons, first came to power. The Freemasonsusually tended to attract people in the upper-middle class, while the KKK and Knights ofLabor, another racist group, attracted the working class. The KKK was formed mostly to restore the “peculiar institution” of slavery toAmerica and to reinstate the Caucasian race as the most superior race in the world. Aformer Confederate general and Freemason, Nathan Bedford Forrest, founded the Klan in1866 because Negroes were being allowed to enter the brotherhood of freemasonry. Heserved as the Klan’s first Imperial Wizard, and Albert Pike, another freemason, held theoffice of the Chief Justice of the KKK. He held this office while he was simultaneouslySovereign Grand Commander of Scottish Rite, Freemasons, Southern Jurisdiction. Hisracism was well known, and in justifying his actions, he stated “I took my obligation towhite men, not to Negroes. When I have to accept Negroes as brothers or leave Masonry,I shall leave it.” (1)The bare facts about the birth of the Ku Klux Klan and its revival a half centurylater are baffling to most people today. Little more than a year after it was founded, thesecret society thundered across the war-torn south, sabotaged Reconstructiongovernments, and imposed a reign of terror and violence that lasted three or four years.And then, as rapidly as it had spread, the Klan faded into the History books. After WorldWar I, a new version of the Klan sputtered to life and brought many parts of the nationunder its paralyzing grip of racism and bloodshed. Then, having grown to be a major forcefor the second time, the Klan again receded into the background. This time it never quitedisappeared, but it never again commanded such widespread support. T...
