Klu Klux Klan
Discuss to what extent did the Ku Klux Klan contributed to racial disharmony in American society during the early 1900s.While the Ku Klux Klan contributed to racial disharmony in America during the early 1900s, it was more an expression of the most extreme elements of hatred that already existed in the society. Racial disharmony was evident in American society since the introduction of Black slaves, but it intensified after the American Civil War because of the poor economic conditions that followed and continuing white opposition to equal rights for blacks. The Ku Klux Klan were able to flourish in this atmosphere of discontent, setting horrifying examples for people to follow and acting as a role model for others in the new century, but they didn't succeed in stopping American society from advancing.Racial disharmony was first evident in American society after Black Africans were sent as slaves to work on southern plantations - by 1850, nearly four million Black slaves were working on plantations. In 1861 war broke out between the northern and southern states because those in the North believed the slaves should be freed. The North won the war and the slaves were freed, but racial tensions flared because most of the whit
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the southern states, which depended mostly on agriculture, suffered enormously. They could not afford costumes to disguise themselves, so they decided wore linens over their backs and pillowcases on their heads. In the 1920s, after the First World War, the modern KKK had spread all across the country. Although from the 1890s to the early 1930s many southern and border states had laws dealing with lynching and mob violence, these were not properly enforced. Many race riots targeted Blacks, and there were very sadistic killing of Blacks. African-Americans - and sometimes Native Americans, Latinos, Jews, and Asian and European immigrants - were subjected to mob violence from 'true Americans' who were asserting their 'superiority' and white dominance. They stole their opponents' goods, beat them and even killed them in public 'lynchings', designed to show people what could happen to them if they had anything to do with the carpetbaggers or blacks. Its activities were directed against the Republican Reconstruction governments and their leaders, both black and white, which came into power in the southern states in 1867. The Klan fed on frustrations and fears, including a fear of the many immigrants who were entering the country, fear of communists, fear of the Blacks who were moving north, fear of Jews and Catholics who were rising in the economic and social order, and of fear of labour unions demanding better wages and conditions for members. The Klan began to take control in the 1868. The South was no longer theirs - the slaves were free and carpetbaggers (opportunists) were coming from the North to take advantage of them. Many whites despised and feared the Blacks, who were often terrorised or murdered by whites. The situation was made worse because there was great competition for jobs and resources after the war. This experience just added more fuel to the racist fire, with the poorer southern whites ready to blame all the usual suspects for their problems. While the old Klan had wanted to set things back to the old ways - being racist was only a result of what they had lost, the new Klan was simply prejudiced against anyone who was in a minority group and they were much more violent.
Common topics in this essay:
Klux Klan,
Blacks White,
Jews Catholics,
Republican Reconstruction,
Asian European,
Black Africans,
World War,
Blacks Blacks,
Jim Crow,
Americans Klan,
ku klux,
klux klan,
racial disharmony,
ku klux klan,
american society,
mob violence,
contributed racial disharmony,
civil war,
1930s southern,
disharmony evident,
klan contributed racial,
black slaves,
carpetbaggers blacks,
klux klan able,
evident american society,
|
Acceptance Essays
