Conservatives were threatened by changes in society and its moral standards.
The Ku Klux Klan.
It's membership sharply increased as a result of the red scare, nativism, its staunch support for National Prohibition, its attacks on moonshiners and bootleggers, and its active recruitment efforts.
The first KKK was strongest in Tennessee. The second Klan, the KKK of the 1920s, was strongest in Indiana, where even the governor was reputed to have been a member of the secret organization and was elected with strong Klan support.
By filling out membership applications and paying dues.
They had friends in High places
The Klan of the 1920s was strongest in Indiana.
The Ku Klux Klan.
The KKK actively recruited members in the 1920s. Later, Sen. Harry Byrd would become a KKK recruiter.
Conservatives were threatened by changes in society and its moral standards.
The Klan claimed to have have millions of members in the 1920s. The claimed membership numbers are always suspect because the Klan tried to exaggerate its size and power as part of it intimidation.
There was a claimed membership of over two million people at the height of the Klan's size in the mid-1920s.
The KKK of the 1920s differed from the Reconstruction Era klan primarily in its broader focus and national reach. While the earlier klan primarily targeted African Americans and sought to restore white supremacy in the South post-Civil War, the 1920s Klan expanded its agenda to include anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic sentiments, positioning itself as a defender of traditional American values. Additionally, the 1920s Klan capitalized on modern media and organized mass rallies, gaining significant political influence and membership across the United States, unlike its more localized predecessor.
In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) expanded significantly, attracting a diverse membership that included white Protestants, particularly in the Midwest and South. Many of its members were middle-class individuals, including professionals and community leaders, who were drawn to the Klan's promotion of nativism, white supremacy, and moral values. The KKK also gained political influence, participating in local and state elections and advocating for legislation that reflected its ideology. This period marked a peak in Klan membership, with millions of Americans joining the organization at its height.
The KKK came to an end in the 1920s through corruption from within the Klan itself and society. The Klan's more violent activities (such as lynchings, robbings, and burnings) started to offend the conscience of Americans and membership decreased. That, along with numerous accounts of fraud, sexual scandals, accusation of crimes, and money mishandling led to the demise of the KKK.
Most Klan members were Protestants.
The Ku Klux Klan came to Canada in the early 1920s. The KKK attacked many immigrants that were from Eastern Europe and Catholics.
It's membership sharply increased as a result of the red scare, nativism, its staunch support for National Prohibition, its attacks on moonshiners and bootleggers, and its active recruitment efforts.