Bibliograph

Type

Label

The second coming of the invisible empire, the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, William Rawlings

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 304-308) and index

Illustrations

portraitsillustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The second coming of the invisible empire

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

944242464

Responsibility statement

William Rawlings

Sub title

the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s

Summary

Fifty years after the end of the Civil War, William Joseph Simmons, a failed Methodist minister, formed a fraternal order that he called The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Organized primarily as a money-making scheme, it shared little but its name with the Ku Klux Klan of the Reconstruction Era. This new Klan became, for a brief period of time in the mid-1920s, one of America's most powerful social and political organizations. While often using intimidation and violence against its foes, the Klan was responsible for the election of supportive politicians at all levels of government. Following a disastrous attempt to influence the presidential election of 1924, and with increasing public awareness of the Klan's corrupt and violent nature, the order faltered, becoming a mere wisp of its former self by 1930

Table Of Contents

Part I. The roots of the invisible empire: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1860s -- The roots of the Klan -- A brief history of reconstruction -- The arc of terrorism -- Part II. The lost cause years 1865-1915: From terrorists to knights in white sheets -- The apotheosis of the fallen -- The golden age of fraternalism -- The man who would be emperor -- White knights to the rescue -- Lighting the fiery cross -- Part III. The Klan reborn: The Ku Klux Klan of the twentieth century -- The battle of the Klans -- Secret agent men -- Militants, Bolsheviks, and the gentlemanly Gorilla -- The end of the beginning -- Part IV. The rise to power -- Ku Klux Koin: The spread of the Klan -- A standard fraternal order: The Klan in action -- Opposition: The Klan under siege -- Part V. The seeds of destruction -- Toys for tots -- Floggings for floozies -- The son of Uncle Remus -- The son of Uncle Remus -- New characters and a palace coup -- Blackmail, the Mann act, and murder -- Part VI. New directions? -- Thirty pieces of silver and political aspirations -- Apogee -- Part VII. It all falls apart -- The decline and fall of the invisible empire -- Part VIII. In the end -- What was the Klan? -- Threre are no second acts -- Epilogue

Classification