Hate in America: The Rise and Fall of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s
To understand today’s version of populism, American nationalism, and the Alt-right, we need to go back to the 1920s when the Klan re-emerged as a slick and successful recruiting and marketing engine that appealed to the fears and aspirations of middle-aged, middle-income, white protestant men in the middle of America. At its peak in 1924, Klan-paid membership exceeded 4,000,000 and its national newspaper, the Imperial Night-Hawk, had a circulation larger than the New York Times.
The KKK Newspapers collection brings together for the first time local, regional, and national newspapers published by Klan organizations and by sympathetic publishers across the U.S. during this period. It also includes the voices from several anti-Klan newspapers. The project is funded by Reveal Digital’s Diversity & Dissent Digitization Fund and the generous support received from participating libraries. Through their funding, these libraries are demonstrating their commitment to open access digital collections.
Access the KKK Newspapers through the University Libraries.
