"This is very hard for 21 st Century people to understand, but anti-Catholicism was deeply ingrained in Protestantism in Indiana and America," Madison said. Madison said the Klan at the time was very good at creating "them and us." It operated sophisticated propaganda campaigns through pamphlets and its newspaper, the "Fiery Cross." In the 1920s, the "them" most targeted by the Klan was Catholics. Source: "Citizen Klansmen: The Ku Klux Klan in Indiana, 1921-1928" by Leonard J. They were good, god-fearing Protestants," Madison said.Īt its peak, the Klan boasted members who were prominent politicians, businessmen and religious leaders.In some counties, Klan membership is estimated to have exceeded 40 percent of all residents. They were Methodists and Baptists and Disciples of Christ. "The folks who joined the Klan in the '20s were Protestants. It found particularly fertile ground in Indiana thanks to a large Protestant population. In the early part of the 20 th Century, the Second Klan spread outside of the South, propelled by Prohibition and backlash against a wave of immigrants from Germany and other European countries. The Klan of the 1920s is known by historians as the Second Klan – the first having been formed immediately following the Civil War.
Madison is the author of a number of books about Indiana history, including "Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana" and "A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America." He currently serves as the Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor of History Emeritus at Indiana University. This is a time when Hoosiers were willing to listen, to give their membership dollars, to parade, to support the values of the Ku Klux Klan." Stephenson had the advantage of being at a certain place in a certain moment in history. "That story is among ordinary Hoosiers who enthusiastically bought the product. "The harder story, the more important story, is the tens of thousands of Hoosiers across the state who joined the Ku Klux Klan," Madison said. "The harder story, the more important story, is the tens of thousands of Hoosiers across the state who joined the Ku Klux Klan." The temptation in trying to explain the Klan's appeal in Indiana is to look to the top: Grand Dragon David Curtiss (D.C.) Stephenson.īut that would be a mistake, according to renowned IU Historian Dr. But could a group with a similar message of hate find itself controlling Indiana's halls of power once again? A story of ordinary Hoosiers The Klan may never see a resurgence in Indiana or elsewhere in the country. A September rally by the Klan in Madison, Indiana, saw more opposition come out than support. Subsequent efforts to revive the Klan in the state – efforts that continue to this day – have not succeeded. Stephenson for the rape and murder of a young school teacher named Madge Oberholtzer. More than 250,000 Hoosiers swelled the Klan's ranks – some because they believed in its anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic message, others because being on good terms with the Klan was necessary for their business or political aspirations – making it the largest Klan organization in the country.īy the end of the decade, the Indiana Klan was all but dismantled following the conviction of Grand Dragon D.C.
Information submitted to us is only available to employees managing this information for purposes of contacting you or sending you emails based on your request for information and to contracted service providers for purposes of providing services relating to our communications with you.There was a time in the 1920s when being seen as a good, upstanding Hoosier meant joining the Ku Klux Klan.Īt its peak, the Klan counted among its members the governor of Indiana, more than half of the state legislature and an estimated 30 percent of all native-born white men in the state. We will never share, sell, or rent individual personal information with anyone without your advance permission or unless ordered by a court of law. We use security measures to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of data used by our system. We respect your time and attention by controlling the frequency of our mailings. If you received a mailing from us, (a) your email address is either listed with us as someone who has expressly shared this address for the purpose of receiving information in the future ("opt-in"), or (b) you have registered or purchased or otherwise have an existing relationship with us. We have created this email privacy policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy and the protection of your information.
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