Ku Klux Klan Reaches Peak Membership of 4–6 Million

The revived Ku Klux Klan, founded in 1915 by William Joseph Simmons following D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation, reached peak membership of 4–6 million by 1924, operating openly in Northern as well as Southern states. Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio had larger Klan memberships than Mississippi. The Klan had elected governors in Oregon and Colorado and controlled significant numbers of state legislators across the country. Beyond lynching, the Klan conducted 'night rides' that terrorized Black families, burned churches, and flogged anyone perceived as challenging white supremacy. Its political influence peaked at the 1924 Democratic National Convention.