Ku Klux Klan

Early Years

The Ku Klux Klan grew out of the ashes of the remnants of the former Confederacy. Six ex-Confederate soldiers founded the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee, on December 24, 1866. Originally established as a quasi-fraternity for Confederate army veterans, the organization named itself for the Greek word Kuklos (meaning “circle” or “band”) and added Klan, a Scottish word denoting the strong family-like bond between members that also reflected the heavy Scots-Irish ancestry of white southerners. The Ku Klux Klan shrouded itself in mystery and modeled itself as a secret society.

Members adopted the notorious white hoods and sheets as the Klan's official costume during this time. Claiming to be the ghosts of dead Confederate soldiers, the hooded Klansmen conducted nighttime rides on horseback through black neighborhoods in an effort to terrify newly freed slaves. Although early activities consisted primarily of scaring former slaves and promoting camaraderie for veterans of the Confederacy, the Klan's actions became increasingly hostile and violent as its membership grew over the next few years.

By the end of the 1860s, the Klan had expanded from the small town of Pulaski into other areas of Tennessee, as well as into other southern states. A convention of Klansmen held in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1867 led to a more rigid structuring of the Ku Klux Klan modeled on a military hierarchy and the use of unique labels to distinguish the varying ranks of members, such as the title “Grand Wizard” for the organization's supreme leader and the label “ghouls” for newly initiated members. The addition of former Confederate army officers, such as Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest and Brigadier General George Gordon, into the Klan's ranks provided the hooded order with the military leadership it craved.

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