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George Washington to New Hampshire, 29 December 1777
(Detail, GLC03706)
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Immigration in America, 1840-1940:
Ku Klux Klan Membership
by Cindy Alexander
Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest, IL
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Jackson, Kenneth T. The Ku Klux Klan in the City,
1915-1930. Oxford University Press, 1967.
The following charts are presented in the book The
Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930 by Kenneth T.
Jackson. The first chart represents the states with the
highest recorded membership in the Klan during this time
period. The approximate numbers are based on the estimates
of former members, media reporters, and Klan documents.
The second two charts provide a comparison between Klan
members’ occupations in Winchester, IL, and Chicago,
IL, during the years 1922-1923. This information comes
from publication of Klan membership in an anti-Klan newspaper
in Chicago called Tolerance. This information
provides insight into the Klan’s role as a nativist
organization and the characteristics of the organization
specifically during this time period. Use the charts to
answer the following questions.
| States with Largest Ku Klux Klan Membership: 1915-1944 |
| State |
# of Persons Initiated into State Klan |
| Indiana |
240,000 |
| Ohio |
195,000 |
| Texas |
190,000 |
| Pennsylvania |
150,000 |
| Illinois |
95,000 |
| Oklahoma |
95,000 |
| New York |
80,000 |
| Michigan |
70,000 |
| Georgia |
65,000 |
| New Jersey |
60,000 |
| Florida |
60,000 |
| Occupational Distribution of Klansmen in Winchester, IL |
| White-Collar Workers |
Blue-Collar Workers |
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Number |
Percentage |
| Clerks |
13 |
7.2 |
Farmers |
74 |
41.1 |
| Businessmen |
7 |
3.9 |
Laborers |
33 |
18.3 |
| Ministers |
6 |
3.3 |
Mechanics |
6 |
3.3 |
| Salesmen |
3 |
1.7 |
Telephone |
5 |
2.8 |
| Chiropractors |
3 |
1.7 |
Carpenters |
4 |
2.2 |
| Politicians |
3 |
1.7 |
Barbers |
3 |
1.7 |
| Teachers |
3 |
1.7 |
Blacksmiths |
2 |
1.1 |
| Physicians |
2 |
1.1 |
Miners |
2 |
1.1 |
| Druggists |
1 |
0.6 |
Painters |
2 |
1.1 |
| Undertakers |
1 |
0.6 |
Printers |
1 |
1.1 |
| Dentists |
1 |
0.6 |
Hodmen |
1 |
.06 |
| Bookkeepers |
1 |
0.6 |
Railroad |
1 |
.06 |
| Lawyers |
1 |
0.6 |
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| Professors |
1 |
0.6 |
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| Total |
46 |
25.6 |
Total |
134 |
74.4 |
| Occupational
Distribution of Klansmen in Chicago, IL |
| White-Collar Workers |
Blue-Collar Workers |
|
Number |
Percentage |
|
Number |
Percentage |
| Businessmen |
22 |
20.0 |
Foremen |
8 |
7.3 |
| Salesmen |
13 |
11.8 |
R.R. workers |
7 |
6.2 |
| Clerks |
10 |
9.1 |
Printers |
4 |
3.7 |
| Lawyers |
5 |
4.6 |
Firemen |
3 |
2.7 |
| Physicians |
2 |
1.8 |
Unskilled |
3 |
2.7 |
| Dentists |
2 |
1.8 |
Postmen |
3 |
2.7 |
| Buyers |
2 |
1.8 |
Electricians |
2 |
1.8 |
| Store Mgrs |
2 |
1.8 |
Truck Drivers |
2 |
1.8 |
| Realtors |
2 |
1.8 |
Motormen |
2 |
1.8 |
| City Employ. |
2 |
1.8 |
Policemen |
1 |
.09 |
| Administrators |
1 |
.09 |
Guards |
1 |
.09 |
| Undertakers |
1 |
.09 |
Factory Wks |
1 |
.09 |
| Office Mgrs |
1 |
.09 |
Painters |
1 |
.09 |
| Engineers |
1 |
.09 |
Carpenters |
1 |
.09 |
| Musicians |
1 |
.09 |
Stage Mgrs |
1 |
.09 |
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Steel Workers |
1 |
.09 |
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Bakers |
1 |
.09 |
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Plumbers |
1 |
.09 |
| Total |
67 |
60.8 |
Total |
43 |
38.8 |
1. Was the KKK of the 1920’s primarily a Southern movement? Explain.
2. Considering the historical context of this time period and the years preceding it, what are the causes for the growth of KKK membership in areas outside of the South? Explain your viewpoint fully.
3. Compare and contrast the two charts of Klan members’ occupations in Winchester and Chicago. What are the differences between membership in rural and urban areas?
4. Does the information presented in the charts challenge your stereotypes of the KKK? Explain.
5. Considering the data presented here and what you know of the historical period, what would you suggest as possible strategies for fighting the spread of the Klan in the 1920’s? Explain why you think those strategies would be successful.
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