Over the years many people have created groups to support their beliefs. These groups allow people with the same ideas to gather together and work out plans to advance their ideas. All of the groups that have been established have not necessarily gained a positive image from the public. One example is the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan originated over one hundred years ago and has gone through many eras and changes since it’s beginning. Although many people know the Ku Klux Klan exists, they do not understand its purpose or how it has changed throughout its life. Background of the Ku Klux Klan in the United StatesAfter the Civil War ended, the Southern States wen through a time known as Reconstruction. Ex-Confederate soldiers had returned home now, and they were still upset about the outcome of the war. It is at this point that the Ku Klux Klan became a part of everyday life for many Southerners. In the beginning, the Ku Klux Klan was started to be a way for people who had the same views to spend time together. The original members meant for the Ku Klux Klan to be a “hilarious social club” that would be full of aimless fun (Invisible Empire, p. 9), though in later years the Ku Klux Klan became known for their violence on anyone outside the white race (The Klan, p. 2). The Ku Klux Klan began in Pulaski, Tennessee, a small town south of Nashville. On the night of December 24, 1865, six ex-confederate soldiers were sitting around a fireplace at the law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones (Invisible Empire, p. 9). These six friends were having a discussion and were trying to come up with an idea to cheer themselves up, since they were frustrated and bored with the inactivity in the aftermath of war. One of the men suggested that they should start a club and the rest of the men agreed with the idea. After discussing the new idea, the men decided to meet again later and they retired for the night. The second mee...
