Ku Klux Klan Expands as Confederate Paramilitary Force

Founded in Pulaski, TN in 1865, the KKK expanded under ex-Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest as Grand Wizard from 1867-69. The Klan used night raids, whippings, and murder to destroy Republican infrastructure, suppress Black voting, and drive Black people from land. Targets included Black officeholders, Freedmen's Bureau teachers, and white Republican allies.