The Second Coming of the KKK

Posted on 16 October 2018 by Linda Gordon

A new Ku Klux Klan arose in the early 1920s, a less violent but equally virulent descendant of the relatively small, terrorist Klan of the 1870s Unknown to most Americans today, this second Klan largely flourished above the Mason Dixon Line its army of four to six million members spanning the continent from New Jersey to Oregon, its ideology of intolerance shaping the course of mainstream national politics throughout the twentieth century.As prize winning historian Linda Gordon demonstrates, the second Klan s enemies included Catholics and Jews as well as African Americans Its bigotry differed in intensity but not in kind from that of millions of other WASP Americans Its membership, limited to white Protestant native born citizens, was entirely respectable, drawn from small businesspeople, farmers, craftsmen, and professionals, and including about 1.5 million women For many Klanspeople, membership simultaneously reflected a protest against an increasingly urban society and provided an entr e into the new middle class.Never secret, this Klan recruited openly, through newspaper ads, in churches, and through extravagant mass Americanism pageants, often held on Independence Day These Klonvocations drew tens of thousands and featured fireworks, airplane stunts, children s games, and women s bake offs and, of course, cross burnings The Klan even controlled about one hundred and fifty newspapers, as well as the Cavalier Motion Picture Company, dedicated to countering Hollywood s immoral and Jewish influence The Klan became a major political force, electing thousands to state offices and over one hundred to national offices, while successfully lobbying for the anti immigration Reed Johnson Act of 1924.As Gordon shows, the themes of 1920s Klan ideology were not aberrant, but an indelible part of American history its 100% Americanism and fake news, broadcast by charismatic speakers, preachers, and columnists, became part of the national fabric Its spokespeople vilified big city liberals, money grubbing Jews, Pope worshipping Irish, and intellectuals for promoting jazz, drinking, and cars because they provided the young with sexual privacy.The Klan s collapse in 1926 was no less flamboyant, done in by its leaders financial and sexual corruption, culminating in the conviction of Grand Dragon David Stephenson for raping and murdering his secretary, and chewing up parts of her body Yet the Klan s brilliant melding of Christian values with racial bigotry lasted long after the organization s decline, intensifying a fear of diversity that has long been a dominant undercurrent of American history.Documenting what became the largest social movement of the first half of the twentieth century, The Second Coming of the Ku Klux Klan exposes the ancestry and helps explain the dangerous appeal of today s welter of intolerance. Free Read Books The Second Coming of the KKK By Linda Gordon – kino-fada.fr I had hoped that by reading this book, I would gain somewhat of an understanding to why people are drawn to such virulent groups as the KKK Whilst this didn t happen perhaps there is no understanding to be found , I did learn many things about the Second Coming of the KKK This occurred not in recent years but in the 1920s, had millions of members WASPS of course , and was muchacceptable than it is today Seen as fashionable, respectable, and exciting, recruiters had little trouble I had hoped that by reading this book, I would gain somewhat of an understanding to why people are drawn to such virulent groups as the KKK Whilst this didn t happen perhaps there is no understanding to be found , I did learn many thin...Gordon gives a solid introductory look at the history of the KKK 2.0, which took American society by storm in the 1910s and 1920s I knew it became an insanely popular outfit in the wake of the release of D.W Griffith s The Birth of a Nation, but I didn t realize just how pervasive it was and, most surprisingly, how fast it fell Turns out when your secret society figureheads commit rape and murder amongst their peers and are, in general, corrupt money fleecing scam artists, it gets your a bad Gordon gives a solid introductory look at the history of the KKK 2.0, which took American society by storm in the 1910s and 1920s I knew it became an insanely popular outfit in the wake of the release of D.W Griffith s The Birth of a Nation, but I didn t realize just how pervasive it was and, most surprisingly, how fast it fell Turns out when your secret society figureheads commit rape and murder amongst their peers and are, in general, corrupt money fleecing scam artists, it gets your a bad rep I had no idea that this era of the Klan was, basically, a franchise movement It was floundering around as a st...Wow What can I say History repeats itself I felt absolutely chilled in recognizing Trump s campaign in parts of this book, down to the word in some cases This is the story of the KKK in the 1920s, told in a smart, well researched and intelligent yet accessible way I am not a historian, so many of the facts were completely eye opening and fascinating to me For example, did you know that the KKK was, in the 20s, a fairly socially acceptable membership organization on par with the Knigh Wow What can I say History rep...This analysis of the Second Ku Klux Klan is a decidedly mixed bag Rather than a narrative history of the Klan s meteoric rise and fall, Gordon stresses its religious, political and cultural dimensions which made it successful, and which continue to animate American politics today The book is often insightful in probing the origins and disturbing continuities of right wing politics the Klan mustered backlash against Progressivism, evangelical Christianity, populist anger against elites, racial This analysis of the Second Ku Klux Klan is a decidedly mixed bag Rather than a narrative history of the Klan s meteoric rise and fall, Gordon stresses its religious, political and cultural dimensions which made it successful, and which continue to animate Americ...The author gave a fascinating interview on the NYT Book Review podcast, so I picked it up, in spite of my misgivings about reading anything KKK I was wrong to have almost missed this informative and very readable book More importantly, it is a must read to understand our country s pervasive cycles of gullibility, fear and tribalism The same forces continue to influence us now,...The KKK of the 1920s was disturbingly mainstream, disturbingly widespread, and offers uncomfortable parallels to our current political climate The Klan of the twenties was protean, opportunistic, and decentralized, adapting smoothly to local s and prejudices and always taking on an air of respectability and intimidation The most surprising and interesting aspect of the book was an extensive treatment of the role of women in the movement and the peculiar strain of feminism that grew up in The KKK of the 1920s was disturbingly mainstream, disturbingly widespread, and offers uncomfortable parallels to our current political climate The Klan of the twenties was protean, opportunistic, and decentralized, adapting smoothly to local s and prejudices and always taking on an air of respectability and intimidation The most surprising and interesting aspect of the book was an extensive treatme...This is awfully good The focus on the KKK in the north is interesting and sheds light on less explored territory, and the constant, ringing parallels to today s political scene are instructive, unsurprising, and horrifying This study is relevant at all times, but it s part...Wow, I am glad I read this well researched book This is a part of American history you will not learn in school Fear and hate will always be with us, and there are those today who want to influence Americans with the same misguided strategy.A very timely lesson from recent history.An outstanding book written about the second coming if the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s The second form of the KKK wasof a northern phenomena as a reaction to increasing numbers of immigrants and the great migration of African Americans The Midwest was a large area for KKK organizations Indiana with its large white Protestant population has the largest group Many members were solidly middle class and considered respectable members of society The KKK organized social get togethers,communi An outstanding book written about the second coming if the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s The second form of the KKK wasof a northern phenomena as a reaction to increasing numbers of immigrants and the great migration of African Americans The Midwest was a large area for KKK organizations Indiana with its large white Protestant population has the largest group Many members were solidly middle class and considered respectable members of society The KKK organized social get togethers,community fairs,...The first Klu Klux Klan only lasted about 6 years, and left behind a trail of fire and blood The second Klan reemerged 44 years later in 1915 with quite a bit of success It has been described as a less violent but equally virulent organization and also as a giant, perverse pyramid scheme It is very true that the Klan was a despicably racist and bigoted group and ideologically, morally, and theologically bankrupt That said, it is a myth to suppose that the second Klan was an extremely marg The first Klu K...

16 October 2018

Linda Gordon