The Ku Klux Klan originated in 1865 in Tennessee. This Klan had around 550,000 members. This is known as the 1st Klan. It died out in the 1870s. The 1st Klan was created by veterans of the Confederate army. Then it spread across portions of the South. This particular Klan was against Radical Republicans control of Reconstruction in the South. They reacted to restore white supremacy. They threatened people, were very violent and even murdered blacks and white republicans. Then in 1870 a law was passed called the Force Acts, this prosecuted anyone who committed Klan crimes. The KKK took many lives during the 1st Klan. They killed members of the Loyal Leagues, Southern Republicans and Freedmen’s Bureau workers. They killed black political leaders, took heads of families, church groups, and community leaders. In North and South Carolina in just 18 months there were a reported 197 murders and 548 cases of aggravated assault. The main goal of the 1st KKK was to suppress blacks from voting. If the Klan stopped blacks from voting they could get white supremacy back in action. The 2nd Klan came about in 1915; it had around 3 to 6 million members. This Klan also died out in 1944. It grew rapidly around 1920. The 2nd Klan preached about racism, anti- Catholicism, anti- Communism, natives’, and anti-Semitism. This Klan was said to be a formal fraternal organization with national and state structure. The violence grew whenever it was election time all throughout the South. The 2nd clan had several social changes. They were anti- Jewish, and against immigrants on top of all the beliefs of the 1st Klan. The Klan also started moving across the United States, to Arkansas, Rhode Island, and Texas. They also adopted the burning cross, mainly said for intimidation. The 3rd and ongoing Klan was originated in 1946. It is said to have about 179 chapters to this date. The 3rd Klan opposed Civil Rights movements and desegregation. Several members of this Klan were prosecuted for the death of several civil rights workers. Many people think that the Klan is a terrorist group. The Klan’s political standings is white supremacy. They wear white robes, hats, and masks to keep their identities hidden. This was also to make their “night rides” more dramatic. The KKK as seen now is loosely based on the old KKK traditions. During the 1950s through the 1960s the KKK was said to commit many heinous crimes, from burning homes, to bombings, and murders. During the 1970s through the 1990s the hate crimes were still active, but more “undercover”. They were still bombing homes, murdering innocent people and lynching people. The current KKK is composed of small chapters across the US. The current Klan has also grown enormously since the 2008 Barack Obama election. Current KKK organizations reside in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and other Southeastern US states, although, the biggest Klan organization today is said to reside in Zinc, Arkansas.
In the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? the Cohen brothers remade a KKK ceremony. Although the movie was depicting the Deep South during the depression, the scene still unnerved some people. The Cohen brothers depict the scene well. It starts out as our three amigos, Evert, Pete, and Delmar, trying to help a fellow black friend, Tommy, who is about to be lynched. They are trying to save him from this feat. The trio disguises themselves in traditional KKK attire, a white robe, and mask. Just as the amigos are about to depart they cut the stake of the burning cross, to let it fall to the ground. As the cross is falling it seems that it is going to fall on top of “Big Dan”, sadly it doesn’t and the villain gets away once again. Although a very sharp pointed stick all of a sudden sailing right towards “Big Dan’s” good eye, he catches it but only about a millisecond from it taking out his eye. Evert, Pete and Delmar conquer their task of saving Tommy, but not after finding out that the Grand Wizard was none other than Homer Stokes. Homer is the arch enemy of Pappy O’Daniel, the current governor of Mississippi.
The KKK scene in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? is rumored to be a tribute to Odysseus’ and Polyphemus’ scene in The Odyssey. There are many similarities. They are both villains to the heroes in the scenes. They are both big men, whom have a lot of power. “Big Dan” is blind in one eye, as is Polyphemus. Big Dan’s’” eye almost gets gouged out with a sharp pointed stake, with a burning cross behind him. Although this detail isn’t on the money with Polyphemus’ scene, when Odysseus gouged his eye out with a burning, pointed stake, we get the gist of it.
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