KKK In effect, the Klan was a military force serving the interests of the Democratic party, the planter class, and all those who desired restoration of white supremacy. Its purposes were political, but political in the broadest sense, for it sought to affect power relations, both public and private, throughout Southern society. It aimed to reverse the interlocking changes sweeping over the South during Reconstruction: to destroy the Republican partys infrastructure, undermine the Reconstruction state, reestablish control of the black labor force, and restore racial subordination in every aspect of Southern life] Interview with Nathan Bedford Forrest To that end they worked to curb the education, economic advancement, voting rights, and right to keep and bear arms of blacks.[45] The Ku Klux Klan soon spread into nearly every southern state, launching a reign of terror against Republican leaders both black and white. Those political leaders assassinated during the campaign included Arkansas Congressman James M. Hinds, three members of the South Carolina legislature, and several men who served in constitutional conventions. The Birth of a Nation Movie poster for The Birth of a Nation. It has been widely noted for reviving the Ku Klux Klan. Director D. W. Griffiths The Birth of a Nation glorified the original Klan. His film was based on the book and play The Clansman and the book The Leopards Spots, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Dixon said his purpose was to revolutionize northern sentiment by a presentation of history that would transform every man in my audience into a good Democrat! The films influence was enhanced by a purported endorsement by U.S. Democrat President Woodrow Wilson, a Southerner. A Hollywood press agent claimed that after seeing the film Wilson said, It is like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true. The members of the first Klan in the South were exclusively Democrats. Black was elected US senator in 1926 as a Democrat. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 appointed Black to the Supreme Court. The original targets of the Ku Klux Klan were Republicans, both black and white, according to a new television program and book, which describe how the Democrats started the KKK and for decades harassed the GOP with lynchings and threats. Further, the first grand wizard of the KKK was honored at the 1868 Democratic National Convention, no Democrats voted for the 14th Amendment to grant citizenship to former slaves and, to this day, the party website ignores those decades of racism, he said. Although it is relatively unreported today, historical documents are unequivocal that the Klan was established by Democrats and that the Klan played a prominent role in the Democratic Party, Barton writes in his book. In fact, a 13-volume set of congressional investigations from 1872 conclusively and irrefutably documents that fact. The Klan terrorized black Americans through murders and public floggings; relief was granted only if individuals promised not to vote for Republican tickets, and violation of this oath was punishable by death, he said. Since the Klan targeted Republicans in general, it did not limit its violence simply to black Republicans; white Republicans were also included. Further, three years later, Eisenhower signed the GOPs 1960 Civil Rights Act after it survived a five-day, five-hour filibuster by 18 Senate Democrats, and in 1964, Democrat President Lyndon Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act after former Klansman Robert Byrds 14-hour filibuster, and the votes of 22 other Senate Democrats, including Tennessees Al Gore Sr., failed to scuttle the plan.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 02:03:40 +0000
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