Klansman

Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan emblem
In existence
1st Klan	1865–1871
2nd Klan	1915–1944
3rd Klan	1946–present
Members
1st Klan	Unknown
2nd Klan	3,000,000–6,000,000 (peaked in 1924–25)
3rd Klan	5,000–8,000
Properties
Political ideology	Neo-Confederate White supremacy White nationalism Nativism Anti-immigration Anti-communism Christian terrorism Anti-Catholicism Antisemitism Christian Identity Neo-fascism (third KKK) Neo-Nazism (third KKK)
religion	Protestantism(historically; recently more generally Christianity)

The Ku Klux Klan /ˈkuː ˈklʌks ˈklæn, ˈkjuː/, commonly called the KKK or simply the Klan, is the name of three distinct movements in the United States that have advocated extremist reactionary positions such as white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-immigration and—especially in later iterations—Nordicism,anti-Catholicism and antisemitism. Historically, the KKK used terrorism—both physical assault and murder—against groups or individuals whom they opposed. All three movements have called for the "purification" of American society and all are considered right-wing extremist organizations.

The first Klan flourished in the Southern United States in the late 1860s, then died out by the early 1870s. It sought to overthrow the Republican state governments in the South during the Reconstruction Era, especially by using violence against African American leaders. With numerous chapters across the South, it was suppressed around 1871, through federal law enforcement. Members made their own, often colorful, costumes: robes, masks and conical hats, designed to be terrifying and to hide their identities.