The Ku Klux Klan in Buffalo, New York, 1922-1924 : a case study

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Daniel Robert Kowalski (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Jane De Hart Mathews

Abstract: The purpose of this study of the Ku Klux Klan in Buffalo, New York, was to examine the movement in a limited context in order to provide evidence for broader characteristics of the movement and to indicate any unique qualities. One of the most extensive local Klan membership lists available afforded an opportunity to determine which groups were more inclined to join the movement and the determinants involved in an individual's commitment. The typical Buffalo Klansman was a blue-collar worker who lived near an ethnic concentration or knew someone who did. He was a prohibitionist whose beliefs were re-enforced by the sermons he heard in church. And finally, he was an average citizen who perceived immigrant union and political activity in conspiratorial terms. In addition to providing an opportunity to determine the class characteristics of those most susceptible to Klan propaganda, the study also allowed an examination of the interrelationships between the Klan, the Anti-Saloon League and the Protestant churches. The impact of the press and those in positions of influence or authority on the dynamic processes involved in the Klan's rise and fall is also considered. Moreover, as a fraternal organization, the Buffalo Klan was more typical of the countless local Klans across the country which have received less attention than their more notable counterparts in the south and west.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 1972
Subjects
Ku Klux Klan (1915- ) $z New York (State) $z Buffalo $x History
Racism $z New York (State) $z Buffalo $x History
Buffalo (N.Y.) $x Race relations $x History

Email this document to