"The Ku Klux Klan reached its heyday in the mid-1920s, claiming millions of
members. In this paper, we analyze the 1920s Klan, those who joined it, and the
social and political impact that it had. We utilize a wide range of newly
discovered data sources including information from Klan membership roles,
applications, robe-order forms, an internal audit of the Klan by Ernst and
Ernst, and a census that the Klan conducted after an internal scandal. Combining
these sources with data from the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses, we find that
individuals who joined the Klan were better educated and more likely to hold
professional jobs than the typical American. Surprisingly, we find few tangible
social or political impacts of the Klan. There is little evidence that the Klan
had an effect on black or foreign born residential mobility, or on lynching
patterns. Historians have argued that the Klan was successful in getting
candidates they favored elected. Statistical analysis, however, suggests that
any direct impact of the Klan was likely to be small. Furthermore, those who
were elected had little discernible effect on legislation passed. Rather than a
terrorist organization, the 1920s Klan is best described as a social
organization built through a wildly successful pyramid scheme fueled by an army
of highly-incentivized sales agents selling hatred, religious intolerance, and
fraternity in a time and place where there was tremendous demand."
Could it be that the Klan is a scarier force looking backwards in history than it actually was at the time of its existence. It would be interesting if you could uncover if their racist ideas were more powerful as a means of empowering those who have fought for equality or as a force of racism in this country.
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