Ku Klux Klan: America's First Terrorists Exposed: The Rebirth Of The Strange Society Of Blood And Death (Shadow History of the United States)

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Being an educator at the high school level as well as a Civil War buff, I generally gravitate to topics such as this.But be warned, although this book includes THE KU KLUX KLAN, ITS ORIGIN, GROWTH, AND DISBANDMENT (penned by one of the Klan's founders), an FBI report on the Klan's history, and the KU KLUX KLAN ACT OF 1871 (the piece of legislation the decimated the original Klan) this book does not focus on the Klan of the Reconstruction era South. These articles are included to give the reader a historical perspective of the Klan before the tremendous rise (and fall) of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of the twenties and thirties. This is not my field of interest, but finished the book nonetheless and truly enjoyed it - learning more than a few things along the way!Divided into three parts, THE OFFICIAL OVERVIEW (law enforcement and the Government's investigations into Klan history and dealings), THE KLAN IN POPULAR CULTURE, POLITICS, AND THEIR OWN WORDS (nineteen vintage articles about the Klan's ideas and tactics authored by newspaper reporters, investigative journalists, as well as Klansmen - Emperor and founder of the Klan's second incarnation, Joseph Simmons' SYMBOLISM OF THE KLAN and Imperial Wizard Hiram Evans' THE KLAN FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM end the chapter) and finally THE KU KLUX KLAN EXPOSED (the complete text of Ezra Cook's anti-Klan tome plus a transcript of a round table discussion: IS THE KLAN CONSTRUCTIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE? - a lively debate between Imperial Wizard Evans and intellectuals of the day).All and all, I have gained an immense understanding of the time period and the "shadowy influence" the Ku Klux Klan had on it. Whether a student of history, politics, economics or racism, this book should be on your shelf.

Reveals every detail of the Klan's fight against Jews, Catholics, Negroes and the foreign born... Amazing."The previous quote is attributed to the New York World newspaper regarding Ezra Cook's Ku Klux Klan Exposed, which serves as the centerpiece of this powerful and noteworthy book.Cook's writings depict the rise to prominence of Joseph Simmons' Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, an invisible empire 4,000,000 members strong, as a fast spreading cancer infecting all spheres of influence with their ideology of hate and targeted acts of terror and violence. So dangerous were these knightriding thugs to the American way of life that Thomas Dixon, author of The Clansman- the novel that was later filmed as Birth of a Nation, denounced their lawlessness as, "the acme of stupidity and inhumanity" and publicly call for its disbandment.The remainder of this compelling tome is a collection of rare articles, news reports and interviews; a dichotomy of diverse views and accounts of the Klan's omnipresent influence on 1920s' life written by the men who bared witness.A fascinating period in America's history, unfortunately most of which will never be seen in textbooks, but nonetheless should not be forgotten. I very highly recommend Ku Klux Klan: America's First Terrorist Exposed.

One cannot help but be amazed by how far America has moved as a country - in the past century alone to becoming the leader of the free world. However, we have had many dark moments, and this book shines a light into that darkness.Ku Klux Klan - America's First Terrorists Exposed stands as one of the best treatments on the subject of the Klan's origin and evolution that I have ever read. The book does not pull any punches - it reveals the evil history of this organization from its origin up through its pinnacle of power in twentieth century - providing a greater understanding of the "why" and "how" of the KKK.Quite simply, this book is a must read for all.

KU KLUX KLAN AMERICA'S FIRST TERRORIST EXPOSED tells the story of a nation seduced by romanticized accounts of the KKK of the reconstruction era south that portrayed the hooded nightriders as protectors of the white race. Such sympathy created the perfect climate for the rebirth of the Klan. Once established in 1915, it quickly became an unruly band of murderous cutthroats, drunk on their own power, propaganda and secret rituals of racial supremacy. So inhuman was their acts of intimidation and hate that the US Congress was compelled to investigate but powerless to intervene when the oath of secrecy pledged by every Klansman could not be broken. Frightening in it description of hate run amok.