One of the reasons that it is interesting to study the second wave of Klan expansion, which occurred during the 1920s, is that there seems to be another resurgence of the Klan, or Klan like organizations during the 1990s. There is an increase of anti immigrant sentiment, an emphasis on traditional values, and an increase in white supremacy.
Even in the state of Oregon, which has been progressive and liberal on a number of issues, there are enclaves of survivalists, militia members, and neo Nazis in both rural areas and smaller cities. It might be instructive to look at the past in order to gain some perspective on the present situation.
As David Horowitz noted in his book, the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s was essentially a reborn Klan, rather than a continuation of the Klan born in the South immediately after the Civil War. It experienced rapid growth during the 1920s, with a peak population of approximately six million members.
Terming the Klan the Invisible Empire seems to have been an accurate label during those times. The Klan had the aim of creating a secret society that was both a government and military system able to counteract the actions of legitimate, democratically elected government and officials when they deemed that those actions were contrary to their goals and aims.
The intent of the Klan was to do work that they considered restorative in establishing their form of true Americanism in the country. According to Nancy MacLean, the Klan gained extensive power throughout the country during the decade of the 1920s, at one point having ties to approximately 75 congressional representatives.
The overall goal of the Klan was to establish true Americanism, according to their definition, but they had many subsidiary objectives. Thus, they sought to establish a secret society that would provide support for its members and protection from local government investigation of reprisal. They sought to control lo...