As it was started in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan has sent a sense of terror through people's minds. A group of six white Southerners was the start of this organization. The history of violence of the K.K.K. is a result of the hatred and anger from the end of the Civil War. The reason for this hatred was because blacks had won their struggle for freedom of slavery. They fought to deny the civil rights for African Americans. They wanted the blacks to be forced into slavery once again. The K.K.K. tore apart reconstructing governments and established a reign of terror and violence throughout the whole war-torn South.

To some whites the freedom of slaves meant that their social and economic ways of life had been defeated. For some white Southerners, this was a nightmare that came true. The number of slaves living around the whites were seen as threats. Night patrols were a result of bloody slave revolts. These patrols consisted of white men that were empowered and authorized by law to look enforce a curfew for slaves, look for runaways and guard rural areas. This was done to prevent any black rebellions. These patrollers were given the right to whip any violators they caught. People saw the K.K.K. as an opportunity to win what they lost in the battles. Confederate veterans were giving up their rebel grays for hoods and sheets.

Throughout the months the Klan grew more violent. There were members from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. The "Night Rides" were getting way out of control. It was to the point that anyone could put on a sheet and commit a crime. The Klan decided to have a meeting to try and control these night rides. They came up with a creed and a chain of command. By 1868 the Klan was known as a terrorist group. There were orders to overpower the Klan by government and army officials. Little did they know, it was too late for this. In some states the K.K.K. had become an invisible government, which no one could control. Governors of various states tried to have spies enter the Klan. In the end, these spies were mutilated and tortured. Eventually the people against the Klan were the minority.

There were many theories about how the Ku Klux Klan was formed. Some said it was a secret order of Chinese opium smugglers, and others said it was formed by the Confederate prisoners during the war. The thought that it was formed by the findings of ancient Jewish documents that referred to Hebrews captured by Egyptian pharaohs was even discussed. In reality, the K.K.K. was formed due to the boredom of small-town life. Six confederate veterans decided to form this "social club", as they called it. They agreed that the club would be kept a secret. They gave their founders, or officers, crazy names. They did this for the fun of it and to avoid any military o

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Approximate Word count = 1463
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)