It is popularly represented as an act to enforce the voting rights of post civil war blacksbut not other racial or ethnic minoritiesunder. Civil rights act of 1871 legal definition of civil rights. These acts were established to dismantle, or at the very least, control the practices of the ku klux klan. The ku klux klan in monmouth county during the 1920s. The klan has existed in three distinct eras at different points in time during the history of the united states. Predominately black juries convicted hundreds of klan members under the act, successfully extinguishing the firstgeneration kkk. There was no such thing as the kkk ku klux klan until 1915. Each has advocated extremist reactionary positions such as white nationalism, anti. The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections. It had mixed results but was seen as enough of a threat to inspire the force acts of 1870 and 1871.
Wikipedia article, wikidata item the ku klux klan act of 1871, also known as the civil rights act of 1871, gave those deprived of their civil rights the opportunity to sue in federal court and authorized the president to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in order to break the ku klux klan. Like the prior years legislation, the act was designed in large part to protect african americans from klan violence during. The first ku klux klan was created december 1865 in pulaski tennessee. The ku klux klan act made private criminal acts federal crimes. Kkk, congress, 1871, ku klux klan, alabama, georgia, mississippi, north carolina. The act was the first of three enforcement acts passed by the united states congress from 1870 to 1871 during. Rewriting the history of reconstruction and the ku klux klan 2 2. The ku klux klan of the 1920s inside nku northern kentucky. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. Mankind that the knights of the ku klux klan, incorporated, is the original ku klux klan organized in the year 1866, and active during the reconstruction period of american history.
A thoughtful explanation of the klans appeal in the fasturbanizing america of the 1920s, which was leaving behind an earlier nation based, in imagined memory, on selfsufficient yeoman farmers, proud bluecollar workers, and virtuous small. Griffiths the birth of a nation, but i didnt realize just how pervasive it was and, most surprisingly, how fast it fell. In response to violence by the ku klux klan which was invariably. Sumner and likeminded radicals in the senate offered a novel constitutional. In a few southern states, republicans organized militia units to break up the klan. Excerpted from civil rights act of 1871 on wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The ku klux klan was founded in 1865 by six defeated confederacy veterans during the reconstruction period following the american civil war. If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact. He stated that it was meant as a defensive organization among. Gordon gives a solid introductory look at the history of the kkk 2. A paper, read at stated meeting of the military order of the loyal legion of the united states, commandery of.
Now that general forrests connection with the klan is known it is amusing to read the testimony he gave before the ku klux committee of congress in 1871. Official, by ku klux klan 1915 pdf page images at msu the original ku klux klan and its successor. National humanities center the twenties in contemporary commentary. The enforcement act of 1870, also known as the civil rights act of 1870 or first ku klux klan act, or force act was a united states federal law written to empower the president with the legal authority to enforce the first section of the fifteenth amendment throughout the united states. President grant used this act to fight the ku klux klans campaign of violence and intimidation, sending the military to restore order in several areas. In january 1871, pennsylvania republican senator john scott convened a committee, which took testimony from witnesses about klan atrocities. The purpose of the klan was to fulfill their ideas of what was right and just, however in order to fulfill those ideas they needed to go outside of the law. Threatened southern states with federal military action unless they stopped terrorizing blacks and denying them the right to vote. The ku klux klan act of 1871 aka the civil rights act of 1871 civil rights at bellaonline. Ku klux klan act of 1871 wikisource, the free online library.
January 10, 2018 the 1871 ku klux klan act gave the federal government sweeping powers to intervene in state elections whenever republicans were suspicious that either voter fraud or intimidation was present. Publication date 1924 topics ku klux klan 19th cent. Many believed that the clansman was too good to be hidden in the pages of a book and the plot was adopted to the stage. Proceedings of the second imperial klonvokation, held in kansas city, missouri, sept. Mob violence and the ku klux klan act stetson university. In the deep south the klan was known for the unspeakable acts it perpetrated against the southern african americans yet because of stereotypes that were strong within the population and the elected officials, there was not much done to protect the citizens from racially motivated abuse and mayhem. Ku klux klan act legal definition of ku klux klan act.
Kelley, speaking on march 29, 1871 in response to an argument that the ku klux klan was a necessary and reasonable reaction to the foundation of negro militias and to the claim that black people in the south in fact did not suffer from discrimination. Principles and purposes of the knights of the ku klux klan pdf page images at msu ku klux klan 1915. Klux klan finally smashed the states blackled republican majority, began the. Though evading questions aimed to elicit definite information, yet he was willing to speak of the general conditions that caused the development of the organization in tennessee. These are momentous changes to introduce into the administration system of any free country. Ku klux klan act law and legal definition uslegal, inc. Clansman, an historic romance of the ku klux klan in 1905 were hailed as literary successes and caused a considerable sensation.
On this date, the house approved an act to enforce the provisions of the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the united states, and for other purposes, also known as the ku klux klan act. The act empowered the president to suspend the writ of habeas corpus to combat the ku klux klankkk and other white supremacy organizations during thereconstruction era. The ku klux klan act of 1871 us house of representatives. Speeches of africanamerican representatives addressing. We were directed particularly to determine whether or not the. I knew it became an insanely popular outfit in the wake of the release of d. House committee investigating the ku klux klan library. The enforcement act of 1871 enacted february 28, 1871. The ku klux klan 2 the forum, a magazine published in new york city, regularly published invited essays on controversial issues of the day. Schutztruppe was the 1871 mauser which used an 11mm black powder. Ku klux klan act of 1871 threatened southern states with federal military action unless they stopped terrorizing blacks and denying them the right to vote.
Notes on writing n writi the history of the ku klux klan. Authentic history, ku klux klan, 18651877 by davis, susan lawrence, 18611939. The ku klux klan act of 1871 aka the civil rights act of. A thoughtful explanation of the klans appeal in the fasturbanizing america of the 1920s, which was leaving behind an earlier nation based, in imagined memory, on selfsufficient yeoman farmers, proud bluecollar workers, and virtuous smalltown. Principles and purposes of the knights of the ku klux klan, by ku klux klan 1915 pdf page images at msu questions answered. People, events, and politics of the postcivil war era. The ku klux klan act of 1871 outlawed the kkk, what. Ku klux klan members ride a ferris wheel at a fairground in colorado in 1926. Tennessee pulaski history publisher american library service, 1924 collection houstonlibrary. Extraordinary national acclaim accompanied the publication of awardwinning historian linda gordons disturbing and markedly timely history of the reassembled ku klux klan of the 1920s. The ku klux klan act of 1871 image courtesy of the library of congress on april 20, 1871, president ulysses s. What is the force act of 1871, and how does it relate to. Members of the ku klux klan, for example, terrorized black citizens for exercising their right to vote, running for public office, and serving on juries. Again the story was very well received and it was proposed that it should be made into a movie.
These criminal codes were designed to protect africanamericans right to vote, to hold office, to serve on. It was created by six well educated white men who had all served in the civil war for the south w. Piracy to the second rise of the ku klux klan in the united states to the german. Southerners were repulsed by the violence of klan actions, the power of the ku klux klan quickly declined. The ku klux klan act of 1871 and the joint select committee majority report were responses to an escalating civil unrest during the reconstruction period of the united states.
The ku klux klans surprising history the new york times. In 1869, a federal grand jury declared the ku klux klan to be a terrorist organization. In 1871 congress passed the ku klux klan act, which enabled federal troops to suppress klan actions and provided that klan members could be tried in federal courts. The ku klux klan is a group that has typically been associated with racist beliefs. This was just a start to the many violent actions to come from the ku klux klan during the 1960s. Section 19853 is essentially a prohibition against conspiracies. It provides a federal cause of action for any person injured by an act, when the act is committed in furtherance of a con. Ku klux klan act of 1871 is a federal law enacted as a response to extraordinary civil unrest during the reconstruction period that threatened the lives and the political and economic rights of all newly freed slaves. Turns out when your secret society figureheads commit rape and. In september 1925 it published two defining essays on the klan by the klans national leaders and by a maine antiklan statesman. It has also been involved in nativism and antisemitism.
During a few short years from the mid 1860s to the early 1870s, the klan went from an inside joke among a gang of a friends to a secret empire rumored to control to the entire country. Militia company and forum to agitate for political rights. By reading this website we learned about the ku klux klan act of 1871, which was created to make any criminal acts that were committed privately a federal crime. Authentic history, ku klux klan, 18651877 internet archive. In 1871, passage of the ku klux act led to nine south carolina counties being placed under martial law and. Notes on thomas dixon and the birth of a nation 9 4. Addressing the ku klux klan bill of 1871 representatives william d. Nation, march 23, 1871, referring to the ku klux klan act of 1871. Chicago recovered from a destructive fire in 1871 to.
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