It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction in the devastated South. Various historians have characterized the Klan as America's first terrorist group.

Dec 23, 2025 · The 19th-century Klan was originally organized as a social club by Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866. They apparently derived the name from the Greek …

In 1865, at the conclusion of the Civil War, six Confederate veterans gathered in Pulaski, Tennessee, to create the Ku Klux Klan, a vigilante group mobilizing a campaign of violence …

Aug 10, 2023 · The first Klan was organized in May 1866 by a group of young Confederate veterans as a prankish social club. Soon, however, it evolved into a secret organization …

Apr 1, 2016 · As a secret vigilante group, the Klan targeted black freedmen and their allies; it sought to restore white supremacy by threats and violence, including beatings, lynchings, and …

Jan 25, 2017 · This isn’t the first time that so-called white nationalists have been involved with American politics. In the 1920s, during what historians call the Ku Klux Klan’s “second wave,” …

These organizations have often used terrorism, violence and acts of intimidation to oppress Black Americans and other groups. The Klan's first appearance was shortly after the American Civil …

Jan 8, 2025 · The Klan’s activities shaped key moments in history, from undermining Reconstruction to resisting Civil Rights advancements. The group contributed to the creation …

Oct 29, 2009 · Founded in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extended into almost every southern state by 1870 and became a vehicle for white southern resistance to the Republican Party’s …

Any clan-like grouping or secret society with exclusivist or discriminatory ideologies. The word “Klan” is derived from the Greek word “kuklos,” meaning “circle” or “wheel.” This term was …