The Influence of the KKK 1920-1928
Outlines and evaluates the arguments for and against the influence of the KKK in the 1920s.
- Created by: Grac3
- Created on: 25-04-14 14:23
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- The Influence of the KKK 1920-1928
- That the KKK did have significant influence
- 1) Rise in membership
- 1925: KKK reached its peak with 4m members
- This was a small proportion of the 105m-strong population
- The Red Scare led to the growing awareness of 'revolutionary' political ideologies which were seen as threatening to the American way of life
- 1925: KKK reached its peak with 4m members
- 2) Terror in the Southern States
- The burning of crosses and lynching during the 1920s meant that there was no hope for a civil rights movement
- Had complete control in states like Illinois; 1924: David Stephenson has all of Indiana under KKK control
- KKK influence not limited to Southern States - also had influence in Denver, Dallas and Detroit
- 3) Political influence
- Were influential in the victory of the Protestant Hoover in the 1928 Presidential election against the Catholic Al Smith
- In 1924, helped the election of officials in Maine, Indiana, Louisiana and Colorado
- At one point, both Senators for Georgia were Klansmen
- Boasted aiding the passing of several immigration laws during the 1920s
- 1) Rise in membership
- That the KKK did not have significant influence
- 1) Fall in membership
- 1929: membership has fallen to 200,000
- 1925: David Stephenson convicted of **** and second degree murder, which went against the KKK's campaign for morality
- Once immigration laws had been passed, they had essentially 'got what they came for'
- Tensions between members who couldn't agree on how extreme to be
- Leader Evans introduced camping trips, which alienated the extremist members, while others saw it as a social group
- 2) Little achievement at national level
- No support on the West Coast or in New England
- Majority of support in Southern, rural America
- The WASPs in rural, Southern America had the most political influence of all groups within American society at the time
- 1) Fall in membership
- That the KKK did have significant influence
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