The Ku Klux Klan began in the small town of Pulaski, Tennessee, shortly after the American Civil War, in late 1865–1866.

Origin in Pulaski, Tennessee

  • The first KKK group was formed by former Confederate soldiers in Pulaski, Tennessee, in December 1865, during the early Reconstruction era.
  • It started as a secret fraternal club for white Southern men but quickly turned into an organized vehicle for white supremacist terror against newly freed Black people and their allies.

Quick Scoop Context

  • The name “Ku Klux” came from the Greek word “kyklos,” meaning “circle,” reflecting a closed, secretive group.
  • From its Pulaski origins, the Klan spread across the South, using intimidation, assaults, and murder to undermine Reconstruction and Black civil and political rights.

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