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"Ku-Klux-Klan" article in the Gazette and Courier newspaper
Official Bulletin of the Mohawk Klan
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Summary and Objective
Students will understand that that racism and organized terror were not limited to just one time period or part of the United States. Students will examine a variety of historical documents, especially several images, in order to better understand the pervasiveness of racism and organized terror against African Americans in the United States.
This lesson can be used to supplement any unit dealing with race relations, issues of 'power,' or civil rights, but is specifically designed to be used with a Reconstruction unit (c.1865-1877) or a Civil Rights unit (c. 1954-1975).
This activity may be completed individually or in pairs.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Before examining any documents, students will brainstorm in pairs what they know or think they know about the Ku Klux Klan.
Students should consider (but are not limited to): areas of the country in which the Klan was active, Klan membership and recruitment, Klan symbolism, Klan tactics, effectiveness of the Klan?
Step 2.
Students will visit the American Centuries website and examine two documents from the collection and three linked images, all pre-selected by the instuctor.
For each document, students must answer the following questions:
1. Who created it?
2. When was it produced?
3. Where was it produced/published?
4. Is it a primary or secondary source? How do you know?
5. How exactly is the message conveyed? Text? Images? Does it make a reasoned appeal? An emotional appeal?
6. For whom is the message of the source intended?
7. What is the message of the source?
8. How reliable is the source?
9. What else is happening in the United States at the time the source was made and how does the source fit into this historical context?
Step 3.
After examining each source individually, students will draw conclusions about racism and the Ku Klux Klan's impact. Specifically, students will revisit their "brainstormed" notions of the Klan and evaluate if the documents changed and/or reinforced pre-conceived perceptions about the KKK.
Step 4.
Students will discuss their findings with the class.
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