Ku Klux Klan

Definition

The Ku Klux Klan is an American white supremacist hate group established during Reconstruction which used terroristic methods against African Americans and other minority groups to uphold white dominance.

Related terms

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

White Supremacy: The belief that white people are superior to those of all other races and should therefore dominate society.

Reconstruction Era: The period after the Civil War when Southern states were reintegrated into the Union and African Americans' rights were expanded.