White League Forms as Open Paramilitary Force in Louisiana

The White League was organized in Louisiana in May 1874 as an openly paramilitary organization dedicated to overthrowing Republican Reconstruction government and restoring white supremacy. Unlike the secret Klan, it operated publicly, drilling in formation and making explicit political demands. At peak membership it had approximately 14,000 armed men across Louisiana. The White League model — open armed insurrection presented as 'taxpayer' resistance — was explicitly adopted in South Carolina as