Today, these guys in white robes can scare, perhaps, only children, instilling in them that they are ghosts. But some 30 years ago, these “ghosts” had a completely different name and it instilled fear not so much in children as in adults. The editors of Hotshowlife found out who was at the origins of the Ku Klux Klan and for what purpose this organization was founded.

There are three known theories about the origin of the name of this secret society. According to one of them (the least truthful, but consistent with the spirit of the time), the Ku Klux Klan was named that way because of the similarity of the sound to the click when the bolt of a rifle is pulled. According to another, from the Latin word “cucullo”, which translates as “hood”. Most people attribute the origin of the name to a member who suggested the name κύκλος - from the Greek "circle", and another member who initiated the prefix of the word "clan". Thus, the name of the organization sounded like “Kyklos Clan”, which translated means “clan of the circle” - a certain circle of “initiates”. A little later, they began to use “Ku Klux Klan” in letters, so that when abbreviated, the name would form the symbolic three “Ks”.

The society was founded 150 years ago, just after the end of the Civil War in 1866, by Judge Thomas Johnson and six Confederate soldiers. In the small town of Pulaski, Tennessee, on the city courthouse there still hangs a memorial plaque with the names: Kennedy, Lester, Reed, McCord, Jones and Crowe - the founders of the Ku Klux Klan. After the first meetings, these young people determined the ideology and the basic elements of giving their community an air of mystery. A uniform was invented, which consisted of a white cape with a conical high hood and cutouts for the eyes, as well as an oath that obliged all members of the Ku Klux Klan to remain silent regarding the personal information of members of the society and its structure. Members of the society held their secret meetings exclusively in abandoned buildings and under the cover of darkness. At these meetings, they identified the primary goals, namely, attracting new members and creating mystique in the eyes of residents of nearby cities. At the core of their ideology was resistance to the new authorities giving black people constitutional freedoms. In just a year, the KKK members achieved tremendous success; their burning torches increasingly met new members from the states of Alabama and Mississippi. At night, horsemen in white robes with hoods increasingly agitated the hated blacks. Representative offices of the organization were established in many southern states.

In 1867, the founders of the society from Pulaski sent information to all regional branches about organizing a general convention in the city of Nashville. It was at this meeting that it was decided to create the “Invisible Empire”, which included all the southern states. On the same day, a well-known Southern army veteran, Nathan Bedford Forrest, “Grand Vizier” with the status of leader of the Ku Klux Klan, was elected. This congress gave a tangible impetus to the development of the organization; in 1868 it numbered 600 thousand people, mostly soldiers of the Confederate army. All these people, surrounded by brothers in white robes and in the light of lit torches, read out a heartfelt oath. In it they swore to protect the white race and strictly limit themselves from other races.

Nathan Bedford Forrest

The Ku Klux Klan had a rather distinctive and stable hierarchy. At its top was the “Great Sage”, subordinate to him were 10 “Genius” advisers. Their state was called the “Kingdom”, which was monitored by the “Great Dragon”. Each “Kingdom” consisted of eight headquarters, called “Hydra”. Also in the “Kingdom” there were “Great Tyrants” who controlled the “Domains” with the help of “Furies”. There were other titles in the clan structure: “Great Treasurers”, “Mighty Magi”, “Cyclopes”, “Great Guardians”. Like all military branches, the KKK had a person responsible for the safety of the clan's regalia - the "Grand Standard Bearer", and ordinary, ordinary members were called "Vampires". Despite the carefully drawn up hierarchy, the clan's organization had large gaps. This forced a revision of the charter, but at the same time, the territory of the “Invisible State of the South” expanded and already included 11 states. Despite its successful development, the Ku Klux Klan never became a dominant organization, losing in competition with numerous similar societies: “Pale Faces”, “Order of the White Rose”, “People of Justice”, “Guardians of the Constitutional Union”. It was never known why, but Nathaniel Bedford Forrest disbanded the Invisible Empire in 1869.

The second stage of development of the KKK occurred at the beginning of the 20th century; the main initiator of the revival of the organization was Colonel Simmons. He identified three main principles of the renewed KKK: Americanism, patriotism, and white supremacy. Taking into account all the ideas of the first stage of the clan's development, Simmons abandoned demonstrative night raids, turning the organization into an even more hidden one. Gathering his three old friends (who were members of the first clan) in 1915 in Alabama, the colonel told them about his ideas. They, in turn, zealously supported Simmons, and together with 34 new members of the clan signed a petition to reorganize the KKK into the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. The updated version began to openly express the racist overtones of its activities. A person of a different race they disliked became the victim of a carefully planned operation. First, the victim received a mysterious sign in the form of an orange grain, melon seeds or oak twig, which meant that the potential victim had to either renounce his principles or leave the country; if this condition was not met, he was killed. Jews, homosexuals, communists, Catholics and trade union workers began to be classified as “undesirable persons” in those days. Their execution was particularly varied: they were drowned, mutilated, burned and doused with acid. It is with the Ku Klux Klan of this stage that the spread of the concept of “lynching” is associated. An interesting fact is that during the most brutal massacres, not a single woman was killed, even of a different race and different views. The organization's heyday was in the mid-twenties; its representative offices operated in 45 states. There was also a headquarters in Washington, where the largest Klan march was organized, numbering 40 thousand people. The clan was so powerful that it could even influence the outcome of the presidential election.

The twenties of the 20th century include not only the rise, but also the decline of the community. Many former leaders Due to political differences, the KKK system began to be discredited and exposed. On numerous trials and everything was revealed in the interview more secrets and the true nature of the organization. The size of the society declined significantly during the Great Depression; in the 30s, the only state where the Ku Klux Klan had significant support was Florida. Over the course of several decades, some figures tried to revive the organization, but the attempts were in vain. In the 50s, its numbers declined to a minimum and ceased to play a decisive role, like the third stage of the revival, formed in the 70s due to outrage associated with the infringement of the social rights of blacks. On the public front, a wave of discontent emerged, defining the same early Klan principles of white supremacy. But this time the clan leaders were detained quite quickly and the wave began to subside, completely dissolving in 1993.

Members of the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina. Late 1990s.

Today, such organizations fall under the definition of “terrorist” and “Nazi.” A few descendants of the Confederates are still active in the United States, but they try to work exclusively in the legal field, because how could it be otherwise if the president is black?

Illuminati in different time called orders, brotherhoods, organizations and sects that professed occultism and mystical philosophy, as well as those who were in opposition to the ruling power and religion. The most famous such example is the Bavarian Illuminati Society, founded in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, a professor of jurisprudence at the University of Ingoldstadt. Weishaupt was a follower of deism - a doctrine that recognizes God and his creation of the world, but denies religious dogmatism and divine revelation. Deists believed that higher power do not interfere with the course of events, and their intentions can be understood only by enlightening the mind. This categorically denied the teachings of the church, which provoked the creation of the Order of the “Enlightened”.

The society was closed - people could get into it not by recommendations (as in the Masonic lodge), but exclusively through recruitment (although it was not prohibited to belong to both the Illuminati and the Masons at the same time). In 1784, the Order was already banned in Bavaria, and three years later, attracting new followers was declared a crime for which the head would be cut off.

For almost 100 years, the Illuminati went underground, as Kevin Hately talks about in his research.

The official revival of the Order took place in 1896 in Dresden. Throughout his existence, he was credited with various accomplishments - from inciting French Revolution before the creation of the USA and the October Revolution in Russia. Due to the fact that the Illuminati symbol - the All-Seeing Eye above the unfinished pyramid - is depicted on state seal USA and the one-dollar bill, the development of various “conspiracy theories” about the Order’s shadow participation in world politics and economics does not stop.

Who is not considered an Illuminati today - from Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga to Queen Elizabeth II. Conspiracy experts say that the brotherhood is not yet ready to come out of the shadows. Accordingly, their actual existence is a rather controversial issue.

Opus Dei

Opus Dei (Latin for “God’s Work”) was founded in 1928 by the Spanish Catholic priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. As the researchers describe this moment: “During the spiritual exercises, he saw with complete clarity the mission that God had ordained for him: to open in this world the path of sanctification of professional work and everyday activities.” The purpose of the organization is to help believers find holiness in their Everyday life through bringing divine awareness into your work activities.

Over the relatively short history of its existence, Opus Dei has had many both fans and opponents, although it became widely known due to its mention in the book “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. Despite the fact that many of the facts in it (and later in the film) turned out to be fictitious, which the writer did not deny, society had a somewhat negative impression of the organization and they began to accuse it of sectarianism. What is Opus Dei doing today?

Firstly, its followers strive to instill in believers that religion is not only the mass, rituals and prayers, but also every moment of their lives.

Thus, on the official website of the organization opusdei.us it is said that its spiritual practice is based on Escrivá’s book “The Path” - a collection of 999 prayers, meditations and reflections. She assumes daily prayers, reading the Bible, attending Mass, weekly “fraternal conversations” with spiritual mentors. With the latter, by the way, they discuss their successes, failures and plans for their subsequent spiritual life, which stands on three pillars - self-denial, attracting new members and abstinence.

In order to become a member of the organization, a person will need 6 years - that is how long the “test period” of the seriousness of his intentions lasts. In addition, you need to be prepared for censorship (many books that are even studied in Catholic schools educational institutions, are unofficially prohibited in Opus Dei) and celibacy (for those who wish to devote their lives entirely to the apostleship). For those who want to understand in detail the questions of whether the organization is elitist, what its financial situation and whether her followers practice “mortification,” a FAQ page has been created in warning. From this it emerges that the Opus Dei society is not exactly secret, but very closed.

Tripartite Commission

The Trilateral Commission was founded in 1973 by American banker David Rockefeller and Harvard University professor Zbigniew Brzezinski. Initially, the organization consisted of three parties: North America, Western Europe and Japan, and the purpose of their meetings is to promote cooperation and solutions common problems in these regions. Conspiracy theorists suspect the commission of attempting to establish a monopoly and global political power in their interests. Therefore, their activities are also associated with the so-called “new world order”.

Despite the ostensible openness of the organization, for a long time it was very problematic to find out anything about its activities.

Despite the ostentatious openness of the organization (it also has an official website - trilateral.org ), for a long time it was very problematic to find out anything about its activities. According to conspiracy researcher Jordan Maxwell's book, Matrix of Power: How the World Has Been Controlled by Powerful People Without Your Knowledge", in 1991, David Rockefeller allegedly gave a speech at a meeting in Germany in which he mentioned: "We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New The York Times, Time Magazine and other major publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promise of confidentiality for nearly forty years.” Today, on the website you can read the annual reports of the commission and even read books by its participants. The latter, for example, is dedicated to Russia (Engaging Russia: A Return to Containment) and the policy that the Trilateral Commission should pursue in relation to Moscow.

IN last years The geography of the organization expanded: thus, the Japanese group became the Pacific Asian group, adding members from India and China, Mexico became part of the North American group, and the Western European group cooperates with the European Union.

Skull and Bones

The Order of Skull and Bones was founded in 1832 by Yale University graduate William Russell, following the example of the German organization the Eurology Club that inspired him. Some even consider Skull and Bones to be its American subsidiary. The purpose of the Order is to prepare outstanding university students for leadership in all spheres of society. Its most famous members today are the two George Bushes (senior and junior), as well as John Kerry. It is noteworthy that people from the Order are always in the government apparatus, Supreme Court, and many of them later become outstanding athletes or leaders of public organizations.

The fraternity accepts only 15 people each year. Previously, only white men of traditional orientation, aristocratic origin and professing Protestantism could become them.

In recentsame years “Skull and Bones” opened its doors to people different races, religions, gender and orientation.

Entry into the ranks of the fraternity is shrouded in mystery: according to some sources, applicants were stripped, beaten, placed in a coffin and forced to tell stories about their sex lives; According to others, the "tomb" was a fraternity room where new recruits were playfully kicked and forced to drink wine from a plastic skull.

Whatever the origin, the Washington Post review mentions that the Order member is "the arithmetic mean" between Forrest Gump and Woody Allen's character Zelig: he manages to "show up" at all the important historical moments. For example, members of the brotherhood were at the origins of the development atomic bomb and were able to influence it to be tested in Japan. They also helped shape US policy during the " cold war" Today, representatives of Skull and Bones are on the Council international relations, as well as in the Trilateral Commission.

Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan is a notorious far-right American organization that advocated the ideas of white supremacy and white Nazism. The Klan was founded by Southern soldiers after the Civil War in 1861, but did not last long. He experienced a second wave of popularity after 1915 - then white suits and caps appeared, created to intimidate the black population. After World War II, the Klan became more active in the fight against the civil rights of minorities. The organization is known by many terrorist acts motivated by racism, which also affected white Republicans who supported equal rights.

Today, the clan still exists - its headquarters is located in the town of Harrison, in Northern Arkansas. Its current leader, 66-year-old pastor Tom Robb, calls himself the clan's national director. The pastor says the movement has a new slogan: "Heritage, not hate." The preacher and his daughters, who are conducting active educational work, are sure that genocide is being planned against the white population. Despite the “rebranding” of the clan, its ideology remains unchanged, and the director strives for the organization to be treated as a political party.

According to experts, today the clan consists of about 5 thousand people. Those who live nearby come to weekly sermon meetings. For others, Pastor, together with his daughter Pendergraft, created the online show White Pride TV (in which, by the way, grandson Pastor Andrew). Usually speeches begin with the phrase “This is the Klan, and this is the truth,” and end with “Be white and be proud.”

Bilderberg Club

The Bilderberg Club was founded in 1954, and got its name from the Bilderberg Hotel in the Dutch city of Oosterbeek, where the first meeting of the club took place. Since then, the conference has been held annually, bringing together about 100 people from the powerful elite - government, media, banking and business. The club consists approximately equally of Americans, Europeans and Asians, and entry to its meetings is possible only by personal invitation.

The dates for convening meetings are never advertised, and the organization of the meeting and the safety of its participants is ensured by the country in whose territory they are meeting (the last one, for example, took place in Austria). It is surprising that there is no press at the meetings: reports on the issues raised and their solutions are not published anywhere, and making statements to the media is strictly prohibited. And the meeting itself becomes known only after its completion, although people flock to the host country a large number of the most influential people in the world, accompanied by their “retinue” - secretaries, bodyguards, servants.

David Rockefeller is considered the founder of the club, but sources mention this in passing, focusing on the fact that he is also the person who established the Trilateral Commission.

Among the participants who attended the meetings of the organization are Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, King of Spain Juan Carlos I, Robert McNamara, Zbigniew Brzezinski.

The BBC calls the Bilderberg Club a "shadow government." Here is also one of the rare interviews that club members sometimes give - with the former European Commissioner, Viscount Etienne Davignon: “I don’t believe that we are the world’s ruling class, because I don’t believe that such a class exists at all. It seems to me that it’s just that some people who have influence are interested in communicating with others like them.” And yet an interesting pattern emerges: at club meetings there are often people who are very a short time become global political leaders. This happened with Bill Clinton, who joined the organization in 1991, as governor of Arkansas, and also with Tony Blair, who visited it two years later, while still in the opposition. In addition, almost all "recent" presidents and members of the European Commission were invited here for meetings before their appointment.

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“Tell me how to join your organization?
- It's simple. You need to kill 6 blacks and one cat.
- And why the cat?
“Congratulations, you’ve been accepted!”
anecdote from 1866

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is the name of several racist organizations in the United States, mainly in the South, that disapprove of people with too much tan. According to one version, it is derived from ancient Greek. κύκλος - circle, wheel, and English. clan - tribal community, clan (among the Scots and Irish). According to another version, “Ku Klux” is the sound made by the bolt of a rifle when reloading.

The history of the United States of America, a fairly young country, contains a huge number of dramatic and hidden pages. One of the more critical moments in the country's history was the Civil War, which broke out between the free North and the slave owners of the South. It began in 1860, when things between the two parties became heated to the maximum. In the North, many influential parties emerged that supported constructive democratic reforms, one of which was the abolition of slavery. The movement was led by A. Lincoln, who was elected president. But the conservative forces of the South did not support him and declared war on the Democrats. The bloody confrontation lasted 4 years and, having claimed more than half a million lives, ended with a formal surrender and the signing of peace in 1865. Thus, slavery was abolished, the black population received freedom and constitutional rights. But the racial confrontation did not end there. In the South there was a significant number of secret organizations that were engaged in organizing and carrying out terrorist actions against military personnel who defended the rights of the black population. Among these organizations, namely, were the Blue Lodges, the Social Union, and the Sons of the South. But greatest distribution received the “Knights of the Golden Circle,” whose number reached 115 thousand people. But during the war, most of these organizations disappeared due to certain circumstances.

After the end of the war, the process of Southern Reconstruction began. Naturally, there remained many people of various social statuses who were dissatisfied with the emancipation of the slaves. It was this, in fact, that became the prerequisite for the emergence of the newest anti-Negro organization.

It was an organization with the incomprehensible and magical name of the Ku Klux Klan, which was formed on December 24, 1865.

IN small town Pulaski, Tennessee, gathered six former officers: Calvin Jones, James R. Crowe, John D. Kennedy, John S. Lester, Richard Reed and Frank O. McCord. They decided to develop a secret society that was supposed to protect the “lost justice,” in other words, the patriarchal order that existed in the South. It was also important to come up with a special name for the organization, which would emphasize the connection between society and the traditions of the secret societies of the past. And so the “Kuklos Clan” came out (the first word translated from Greek means “circle” - the beloved sign of the conspirators, and the second - English word clan, in other words, clan community).

But the conspirators did not stop there and, wanting to make the name even more mysterious, slightly changed the spelling of the words. That's how the Ku Klux Klan came out.

After the formalities were over, the officers decided to celebrate the creation of the society by holding horse races at night. And to make it special and memorable forever, both the officers and the horses were dressed up as ghosts. This is how the official clothes of the organization appeared - snow-white sheets and snow-white bags with slits for eyes on their heads.

Despite the fact that the members of the organization behaved completely peacefully and did nothing disgusting, everyone who encountered this unusual procession was terribly frightened. It was the blacks who felt the most horror. The fact is that they were very superstitious, so they believed that they were seeing the souls of murdered southerners ahead of them. This reaction of the blacks greatly pleased the officers. Therefore, for several weeks, they organized similar processions every night, fully aware that a similar innocent joke could be used for more severe purposes.

Night races brought some results, and very soon in those places where they were held, the crime rate decreased significantly. Therefore, at that time there was no need to use a weapon. Members of the organization were convinced that it would be entirely enough for black criminals to see him. But soon their confidence was noticeably shaken when one fine moment at night a group of blacks opened fire on them. The Ku Klux Klan members decided that next time they would also go on a night walk with a gun. This
led to the fact that a small provincial town at night was transformed into a true battlefield, and blacks were no longer simply feared, but killed. With all this, snow-white clothes helped snow-white people remain unrecognized. First, in 1866, 22 blacks who were in jail in the city of Kingstree were burned alive. During all this, one of the “ghosts” was injured. There was no longer a myth about the alien existence of horsemen. And members of society began to dress in reddish and dark clothes.

By the spring of 1866, rumors of the existence of the Klan had spread throughout virtually all southern states. His popularity among the population has increased. Many representatives of both aristocrats and the poor united in groups, put on snow-white robes and went to “restore order.” And soon most of these small groups merged around the Ku Klux Klan. Then a problem arose in the management of the organization. One of the first people whom members of the society wanted to create as a manager was General Robert Lee, but he refused, citing unprincipled health and a promise not to oppose the northerners. Then the clansmen made the same proposal to General Nathan Forrest, who with great pleasure agreed to become the head of the organization.

He received the title of "Grand Magician" and was officially appointed to the position in April 1867. At the same time, the first congress of the organization took place, at which the clan’s constitution was adopted. The order itself was called the “Invisible Empire”, and its members were called “knights”.

The charter stated that the main task of the clan was to provide support to the white population. The main opponents of the organization were recognized as the religious leagues, which provided assistance to the black population, which had recently received freedom, and defended their rights. In addition, among the opponents were blacks who served in the militia, corrupt bureaucrats, also called “carpetbaggers,” and residents of the South who supported the Republican Party.

During the congress, the structure of the organization was determined. It was headed by the “Great Magician” and a council of 10 “geniuses”. The country was divided into “kingdoms,” each of which was headed by “great dragons” and eight “hydras.” Each "kingdom" was divided into "domains" ruled by "great titans" and "furies". "Domains" were divided into "lairs" with the "great cyclops" and "nighthawks". Each “lair” contained “caves” with “ghouls”. At the same time, a uniform was adopted - snow-white, reddish, dark or striped robes and caps with slits for the eyes. From time to time the caps would be decorated with horns.

Thus, pre-existing organizations merged into a strong structure with well-defined political goals and serious discipline.

Due to the fact that Forrest was widely known among the population, the size of the organization increased very rapidly. Members of the clan increasingly beat and mutilated those people who, in their opinion, had violated the laws they had established. But at first they tried not to resort to murder.

Members of the organization operated in small mobile groups, which included from a few tens to several hundred people. Almost always they limited themselves to a warning, but from time to time they arranged fast courts- lynching that ended in hanging. Despite the fact that innocent people from time to time became victims of clan members, and the fact that very often their actions were illegal, they tried to distance themselves and their company from ordinary bandits who acted only to get rich. The clan's goal was more generous and, in the opinion of its members, could bring a lot of benefit to society. Therefore, a real hunt was launched for the bandits. In general, the official government was not interested in this. For them, all violations of law and order were associated with the Klan, which is why the organization was defined as outside the law. Armed clashes began between government troops and members of society.

By 1869 the situation had become even more complicated. Neither the government nor the clan could control it anymore. In this situation, Forrest even gave the order to arrest and even execute those members of his organization who violated the rules established by the order’s charter. But this order was ignored, so Forrest decided to leave the company. The scale of the terror perpetrated by members of the clan was amazing, because, if you believe the statements of member of the House of Representatives Wilson, from the moment of its creation until the early 1870s, about 130 thousand people were killed... And only in 1871, when the government began to resort to mass arrests clansmen, the situation was little stabilized.

At the same time, the persecution of the black population continued, but in officially permitted ways. Racists began to actively engage in politics and occupied most of the seats in the legislature. Ultimately, a huge number of documents appeared that, without contradicting the American Constitution, limited the political rights of blacks. The organization itself, called the Ku Klux Klan, ended its existence in the late 1870s.

But in 1915 it was brought back to life. This was done by the preacher Williams Simmons, who was inspired by the picture about the era of Forrest and the snow-white, generous guys who defended the traditions of the South - “The Birth of a Nation.”

In the early 1920s, the size of the organization reached 4 million people. But their activities were aimed not only against blacks, but also against immigrants, communists, Jews and even some Catholics. In its essence, the newly formed organization was a South American version of fascism.

In addition, an important component of the clan’s activities was the struggle for sobriety. The Ku Klux Klan supported government measures aimed at combating alcohol. They, even without the help of others, found bootleggers (in other words, moonshiners) and destroyed underground drinking bars, poured out alcohol, and doused particularly evil violators with tar and feathers.

The clan's activities faced greater obstacles when the financial crisis of 1929-1933 began. But the order was officially dissolved in 1944. Attempts were made to revive the clan in 1946, but three years later the movement split again. The secret of this development of events turned out to be very simple: the whole point was in America’s domestic politics. When the “red danger” was moved away from the country, the need for an organization of this kind disappeared for a while. Moreover, the clan members were carried away by the fight against traitors, and were already speaking out against representatives of the snow-white administration, and this was not at all part of the government’s plans.

Nevertheless, attempts were made to revive the clan in the 1960s, when more constructive members of the organization fought against sexual minorities, and at the same time destroyed other fighters for civil rights. But then the clan members again went too far with their activity, and they were banned again.

A new surge in the organization’s activity occurred in the 1970s, when individual small racist groups, using terror, tried to fight against the black population who were defending their rights. But then the FBI rose to the occasion, arresting more active clan members in a short period of time.

Currently, the Ku Klux Klan remains an active member of “civil society.” Participants in the movement convince that they no longer resort to violence, but are only concerned with protecting Christianity and their towns from criminals and immigrants. Most of the Klansmen are civilian police. There are approximately 250 thousand people. Approximately 100-150 thousand are members of illegal and semi-legal organizations. At times, these organizations are closed, and the leaders of the “white movement” end up in jail for long periods.

Today, about 5 thousand people officially belong to different groups of the clan. But the real number of those who support the movement and actively participate in the life of the clan amounts to more than 1 million people. The official number only says that various anti-fascist and other non-white organizations and movements are filing lawsuits
lawsuits against Klansmen. We are talking about millions of bucks. In order to reduce these payments, the official society wants to underestimate its number in order to completely legitimately reduce ship payments to a minimum (motivating this by the small number and poverty of the organization).

One such lawsuit was the Jordan Gruver case. In 2006, four members of the Imperial Ku Klux Klan movement in the small town of Brandenburg, located in Kentucky, allegedly held missionary activity(but for some reason at night). Along the way they met a sixteen-year-old Indian teenager. Without really thinking about the correctness of their own actions, the “missionaries” beat him, then doused him with alcohol and tried to burn him alive. But the boy was lucky; a police car drove by. As a result, Jordan's life was saved, and the Klansmen went to jail for three years. In their defense, during the trial they said that the boy himself tried the gun on them. And this is for healthy guys, two of whom were two meters tall and weighed more than 100 kg, while the boy’s height did not even reach 160 cm, and his weight was 45 kg.

In addition to imprisonment, a fine was imposed on the company itself - the “Imperial Ku Klux Klan” had to pay 1.5 million bucks to Gruver himself, and in addition, another 1 million to the state treasury.

In 2010, the favorite of the “imperial clan,” Pastor Ron Edwards, and his wife were arrested. He was accused of possession and distribution of methamphetamine. The clan members claimed that the drugs were planted on them by FBI agents. But then the pastor managed to get away with just house arrest.

Another such case, but with an even more deplorable end, occurred in 2011, when one of the more active members of the Lawrence Brewer clan was executed in the Huntsville jail. In 1998, he, together with two of his accomplices, mercilessly dealt with the black man James Byrd. He was lured into a car, in which he was taken to a deserted place and tortured. Then they handcuffed him to the car and dragged his body until the man died.

Many people ask the question: how is it that a similar organization, accepted by many only as a relic of an era, is revived again and again? And it’s simple - sometimes it is required by official authorities. And under the name “Ku Klux Klan” there is not one, but several secret organizations hiding. The largest of these is the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which operates in Arkansas. The organization is led by Pastor Tom Robb. Klansmen have a harsh legal support, which is provided to them by the South American Civil Liberties Alliance. But at the same time, the organization has not yet been able to achieve its former scale. In general, the clan members are not discouraged, claiming that numbers are not the most important thing for them. It may well be that the Ku Klux Klan is waiting long life, therefore, as an organization, many people need

In the 19th century, the Ku Klux Klan was associated with the Democratic Party (the same one headed by Obama); later in the 20th century, southerners emerged within the Democratic Party into a separate political bloc called the Dixiecrats, which later joined the Republican Party.
In the entire history of the first Ku Klux Klan (from 1866 to 1871), there was not a single attack or act of violence against a woman, regardless of the color of her skin. Klan members paid Special attention protecting the rights of widows and orphans. Any person who offended a defenseless person received a warning from the organization, and if he did not immediately correct his mistakes, then the second visit to the “riders in white” could be the last in his short and painful life.
Members of the Ku Klux Klan closely monitored the activities of government officials. If the actions of any of them seemed to them hostile to the white population, then the organization sent them a warning with a proposal to leave the city, which, as a rule, was immediately carried out, in view of the almost inevitable exterminatus. A similar fate awaited those who, in the opinion of the Klan leaders, incited hatred of blacks towards the white population or defended equality between races.
The Ku Klux Klan troops were so well organized and so connected common interests, that not a single case is known during the entire Reconstruction era when the military leadership of the district managed to penetrate the secrets of the organization or discover its true member.
Usually the head of the "den" - the "Grand Vizier" - was the most respected person in the city, with great influence and appropriate means. His assistants were, as a rule, similar people who saw their main goal in preventing the abuse of power and in punishing the guilty.
It was the Ku Klux Klan, by distributing pussy, that actually banned the plazaage system that existed in French Louisiana, in which a white master could openly have a whole harem of black and colored concubines without prohibition. The Ku Klux Klan was outraged not by the fact that he fucks them without restraint, but by the fact that he recognizes children born in a harem (albeit as third-class, but still...).
The most famous film about the clan is considered to be “The Birth of a Nation,” where the valiant Ku Klux Klan saves the United States from rebel blacks led by SUDDENLY Lynch. Despite all the cheerfulness of what was happening, the movie was pulled apart into pretentious shots and became famous example stirring up something films. Director David Griffith, who shot the film, subsequently received a butthurt and decided to clear his reputation. As a result, he made a film with a harsh message and a utopian ending - Intolerance, which is still considered one of the greatest masterpieces of silent cinema.

Ku Klux Klan- a dark horse in the history of the United States of America, a secret organization that arose back in the 19th century and defended far-right positions.
Based on the principles of the community, it can be called racist and terrorist. The original goal of the brotherhood was the revival of white supremacy, the salvation of the state from the invasion of Africans.

The birth of the organization should be dated December 24, 1865. The founders of the society were Judge T. L. Jones and several veterans of the Civil War (1861 - 1865): Reed, Kennedy, Lester, McCord and Crow.

There are several versions of the explanation for the name of the secret brotherhood: 1st - from the Greek word “kuklos” - wheel or circle, “clan” - the concept of a tribal community among the inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland; 2nd – from the Latin “cucullo”, which means hood; The 3rd explains that this concept resembles in its sound the characteristic clang of a rifle.

Coat of arms of the organization.

History includes several similar organizations that existed at different times in the United States. The first of them did not flourish for long: from 1865 to the early 1870s, it numbered about 550,000 people. The appearance of the famous white costumes, consisting of a terrifying conical headdress, a mantle and a mask, dates back to this period. At first, representatives of the secret movement practically did not use extremist methods, and their actions were intimidating. Very often they had fun running around the city in white sheets, thereby instilling fear in the local population.

Knights of the “Invisible Empire” against the background of their symbol - a cross engulfed in fire.

Later, members of the society began to kill, but first they sent strange marks (grains of oranges and melons, or branches of oak leaves), warning of inevitable death if the victim did not renounce his beliefs and did not stop activities objectionable to the clan. Not only the black population of America, but also those who supported them were killed. Every year the organization strengthened its position, and its methods of struggle became harsher and harsher: they maimed, burned, drowned, hanged, while acting very clearly and without prying eyes.

The new Ku Klux Klan appeared in 1915 and existed until 1944, the number of members of which, according to various sources, ranged from 3 to 6 million. It was representatives of the revived society who came up with main symbol organizations - a burning cross. They fought to provide special status and rights to citizens of the United States whose ancestors won the Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783). The Knights of the Invisible Empire opposed the minority rights movement. The brotherhood’s “Black List” already included not only Africans, but also communists, Jews, newly arrived immigrants, as well as government officials.

The United States of America, a fairly young state, contains a large number of dramatic and secret pages. One of the most critical moments in the country's history was the civil war that broke out between the free North and the slave owners of the South. It began in 1860, when relations between the two sides became tense. In the North, many influential parties emerged that supported radical democratic reforms, one of which was the abolition of slavery. The movement was led by A. Lincoln, who was elected president. But the conservative forces of the South did not support him and declared war on the Democrats. The bloody confrontation lasted 4 years and, having claimed more than half a million lives, ended with a formal surrender and the signing of peace in 1865. Thus, slavery was abolished and the black population received freedom and constitutional rights. However, the racial confrontation did not end there. In the South there were a significant number secret organizations who were involved in organizing and carrying out terrorist actions against military personnel who defended the rights of the black population. Among these organizations, in particular, were the Blue Lodges, the Social Union, and the Sons of the South. However, the most widespread were the “Knights of the Golden Circle,” whose number reached 115 thousand people. But during the war, most of these organizations disappeared for certain reasons.

After the end of the war, the process of Southern Reconstruction began. Of course, there were a lot of different people there social status who were unhappy with the freeing of slaves. This, in fact, was the reason for the emergence of a new anti-Negro organization.

It was an organization with an incomprehensible and magical name Ku Klux Klan, which was formed on December 24, 1865.

In the small town of Pulaski, located in Tennessee, six former officers gathered: Calvin Jones, James R. Crow, John D. Kennedy, John S. Lester, Richard Reed and Frank O. McCord. They decided to create a secret society that was supposed to defend “lost justice,” that is, the patriarchal order that existed in the South. It was also important to come up with a special name for the organization, which would emphasize the connection between society and the traditions of secret societies of the past. This is how the “Kuklos Clan” turned out (the first word translated from Greek means “circle” - a favorite symbol of the conspirators, and the second is the English word clan, that is, clan community).

However, the conspirators did not stop there and, wanting to give the name even more mystery, slightly modified the spelling of the words. This is how the Ku Klux Klan came about.

After the formalities were over, the officers decided to celebrate the creation of the society by holding horse races at night. And to make it unusual and memorable for a long time, both officers and horses were dressed up as ghosts. This is how the official clothes of the organization appeared - white sheets and white bags with slits for eyes on their heads.

Despite the fact that the members of the organization behaved quite peacefully and did nothing wrong, everyone who encountered this strange procession was terribly frightened. It was the blacks who felt the most fear. The fact is that they were extremely superstitious, so they believed that they saw the souls of murdered southerners in front of them. This reaction of the blacks greatly pleased the officers. Therefore, they organized similar processions every night for several weeks, fully aware that such an innocent joke could be used for more serious purposes.

The night races brought some results, and very soon in those places where they were held, the crime rate was significantly reduced. Therefore, at that time there was no need to apply . Members of the organization were confident that it would be enough for black criminals to see him. However, their confidence was soon noticeably shaken when one night a group of blacks opened fire on them. The Ku Klux Klan members decided that next time they would also go on a night walk with weapons. This led to the fact that the small provincial town turned into a real battlefield at night, and the blacks were no longer just scared, but killed. At the same time, white clothes helped whites remain unrecognized. At the beginning of 1866, 22 blacks who were in prison in the town of Kingstree were burned alive. In this case, one of the “ghosts” was injured. There was no longer a myth about the extraterrestrial existence of horsemen. And members of the society began to dress in red and black.

By the spring of 1866, rumors of the existence of the Klan had spread throughout almost all southern states. Its popularity among the population has increased. Many representatives of both aristocrats and the poor united in groups, put on white robes and went to “restore order.” And soon most of these small groups united around the Ku Klux Klan. Then the problem of managing the organization arose. One of the first people the members of the society wanted to see as a leader was General Robert E. Lee, but he refused, citing poor health and a promise not to oppose the northerners. Then the clansmen made the same proposal to General Nathan Forrest, who with great pleasure agreed to become the head of the organization.

He received the title of "Grand Magician" and was officially appointed to the position in April 1867. At the same time, the first congress of the organization took place, at which the charter and constitution of the clan were adopted. The order itself was called the “Invisible Empire”, and its members were called “knights”.

The charter stated that the main task of the Klan was to provide support to the white population. The main enemy of the organization was recognized as the loyal leagues, which provided assistance to the black population who had recently received freedom and defended their rights. In addition, blacks who served in the police, corrupt officials, as well as the so-called “carpetbaggers”, residents of the South who supported the Republican Party, were named among the enemies.

During the congress, the structure of the organization was determined. It was headed by the “Great Magician” and a council of ten “geniuses”. The country was divided into "kingdoms", each of which was headed by "great dragons" and eight "hydras". Each "kingdom" was divided into "domains", which were led by "great titans" and "furies". "Domains" were divided into "lairs" with the "great cyclops" and "nighthawks". Each “lair” contained “caves” with “ghouls”. At the same time, a uniform was adopted - white, red, black or striped robes and caps with slits for the eyes. Sometimes the caps could be decorated with horns.

Thus, the organizations that existed up to this point were united into a powerful structure with clearly defined political goals and strict discipline.

Due to the fact that Forrest was widely known among the population, the size of the organization increased very quickly. Members of the clan increasingly beat and maimed those people who, in their opinion, had violated the laws they had established. However, at first they tried not to resort to murder.

Members of the organization operated in small mobile groups, which included from several dozen to several hundred people. In most cases, they limited themselves to warnings, but sometimes they organized speedy trials - lynching, which ended in hanging. Despite the fact that innocent people were sometimes victims of the Klansmen, and the fact that very often their actions were illegal, they tried to distance themselves and their organization from ordinary bandits who acted only to enrich themselves. The clan's goal was more noble and, according to its members, could bring a lot of benefit to society. Therefore, a real hunt was launched for the bandits. However, the official government was not interested in this. For them, all violations of law and order were associated with the Klan, so the organization was defined as outlaw. Armed clashes began between government forces and members of society.

By 1869 the situation had become even more complicated. Neither the government nor the clan leadership could control it anymore. In such a situation, Forrest even gave the order to arrest and even execute those members of his organization who violated the rules established by the order’s charter. But this order was ignored, so Forrest decided to leave the organization. The scale of the terror perpetrated by members of the clan was amazing, because, according to the statements of Representative Wilson, from the moment of its creation until the early 1870s, about 130 thousand people were killed... And only in 1871, when the government began to resort to mass arrests clan members, the situation was slightly stabilized.

At the same time, the oppression of the black population continued, but using officially approved methods. Racists began to actively engage in politics and took the majority of seats in the legislature. As a result, a large number of documents appeared that, without contradicting the American Constitution, limited the political rights of blacks. The organization itself, called the Ku Klux Klan, ceased to exist in the late 1870s.

But in 1915 it was brought back to life. This was done by the preacher Williams Simmons, who was inspired by the picture about the era of Forrest and the white noble men who defended the traditions of the South - “The Birth of a Nation.”

In the early 1920s, the organization's membership reached four million people. But their activities were directed not only against blacks, but also against immigrants, communists, Jews and even some Catholics. At its core, the newly formed organization was an American version of fascism.

In addition, an important component of the clan’s activities was the struggle for sobriety. The Ku Klux Klan supported government measures aimed at combating alcohol. They even independently found bootleggers (in other words, moonshiners) and destroyed underground drinking bars, poured out alcohol, and doused especially malicious violators with tar and dumped them in feathers.

The clan's activities faced great obstacles when the financial crisis of 1929-1933 began. But the order was officially dissolved in 1944. Attempts were made to revive the clan in 1946, but three years later the movement split again. The secret of this development of events turned out to be extremely simple: the whole point was in America’s domestic politics. When the “red danger” was moved away from the country, the need for an organization of this kind disappeared for a while. Moreover, the clan members were carried away by the fight against traitors, and were already speaking out against representatives of the white administration, and this was not at all part of the government’s plans.

However, attempts were made to revive the clan in the 1960s, when the most radical members of the organization fought against sexual minorities, and at the same time destroyed other civil rights fighters. But then the clan members again went too far with their activity, and they were banned again.

A new surge in the organization’s activity occurred in the 1970s, when some small racist groups, using terror, tried to fight against the black population who were defending their rights. But then the FBI rose to the occasion and short period time arrested the most active clan members.

Currently, the Ku Klux Klan remains an active member of “civil society.” Participants in the movement claim that they no longer resort to violence, but are only concerned with protecting Christianity and their cities from criminals and immigrants. Most of the Klansmen are civilian militia. There are approximately 250 thousand of them. Approximately 100-150 thousand are members of illegal and semi-legal organizations. From time to time, these organizations are closed, and the leaders of the “white movement” end up in jail for long periods.

Today, about 5 thousand people officially belong to various clan groups. However, the real number of those who support the movement and actively participate in the life of the clan reaches more than one million people. The official number only says that various anti-fascist and other non-white organizations and movements are suing Klansmen. It's about about millions of dollars. In order to reduce these payments, the official society intends to underestimate its number, in order to thus completely legally reduce court payments to a minimum (motivating this by the small number and poverty of the organization).

One such lawsuit was the Jordan Gruver case. In 2006, four members of the Imperial Ku Klux Klan movement in the small town of Brandenburg, located in Kentucky, allegedly carried out missionary activities (but for some reason at night). On the way they met a sixteen-year-old Indian teenager. Without really thinking about the correctness of their actions, the “missionaries” beat him, then doused him with alcohol and tried to burn him alive. But the boy was lucky; a police car drove by. As a result, Jordan's life was saved, and the Klansmen went to jail for three years. In their defense, during the trials they said that the boy himself tried to attack them. And this is for healthy men, two of whom were two meters tall and weighed more than a hundred kilograms, while the boy’s height did not even reach 160 centimeters, and his weight was 45 kilograms.

In addition to imprisonment, a fine was imposed on the organization itself - the “Imperial Ku Klux Klan” had to pay $1.5 million to Gruver himself, and in addition, another $1 million to the state treasury.

In 2010, the leader of the “imperial clan,” Pastor Ron Edwards, and his wife were arrested. He was accused of possession and distribution of methamphetamine. The Klan members claimed that the drugs were planted on them by FBI agents. But then the pastor managed to get away with just house arrest.

Another such case, but with a much more tragic ending, occurred in 2011, when one of the most active members of the clan, Lawrence Brewer, was executed in Huntsville prison. In 1998, he and two of his accomplices brutally killed a black man, James Byrd. He was lured into a car, in which he was taken to a deserted place and tortured. They then handcuffed him to the car and dragged his body until the man died.

Many people wonder: how is it possible that similar organization, accepted by many solely as a relic of an era, is being revived again and again? And everything is very simple - from time to time it is required by the official authorities. And under the name “Ku Klux Klan” there is not one, but several secret organizations hiding at once. The largest of them is the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which operate in Arkansas. The organization is led by Pastor Tom Robb. Klansmen have strong legal support provided to them by the American Civil Liberties Union. But at the same time, the organization has not yet been able to achieve its former scale. However, the clan members are not discouraged, claiming that numbers are not the most important thing for them. It may well be that the Ku Klux Klan will have a long life ahead, because many people need the organization...

Materials used:
http://www.calend.ru/event/4657/
http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/telegraph/history/1083/
http://www.velesova-sloboda.org/right/ku-klux-klan.html
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83-%D0%BA%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%81-%D0%BA%D0%BB %D0%B0%D0%BD