Immigration in America, Ku Klux Klan membership: 1840-1940
The following charts are presented in the book The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930 by Kenneth T. Jackson. The first chart represents the states with the highest recorded membership in the Klan during this time period. The approximate numbers are based on the estimates of former members, media reporters, and Klan documents. The second two charts provide a comparison between Klan members’ occupations in Winchester, IL, and Chicago, IL, during the years 1922-1923. This information comes from publication of Klan membership in an anti-Klan newspaper in Chicago called Tolerance. This information provides insight into the Klan’s role as a nativist organization and the characteristics of the organization specifically during this time period. Use the charts to answer the following questions.
| States with Largest Ku Klux Klan Membership: 1915-1944 | |
| State | No. of Persons Initiated into State Klan |
| Indiana | 240,000 |
| Ohio | 195,000 |
| Texas | 190,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 150,000 |
| Illinois | 95,000 |
| Oklahoma | 95,000 |
| New York | 80,000 |
| Michigan | 70,000 |
| Georgia | 65,000 |
| New Jersey | 60,000 |
| Florida | 60,000 |
| Occupational Distribution of Klansmen in Winchester, Illinois | |||||
| White-Collar Workers | Blue-Collar Workers | ||||
 |
Number | Percentage | |
Number | Percentage |
| Clerks | 13 | 7.2 | Farmers | 74 | 41.1 |
| Businessmen | 7 | 3.9 | Laborers | 33 | 18.3 |
| Ministers | 6 | 3.3 | Mechanics | 6 | 3.3 |
| Salesmen | 3 | 1.7 | Telephone | 5 | 2.8 |
| Chiropractors | 3 | 1.7 | Carpenters | 4 | 2.2 |
| Politicians | 3 | 1.7 | Barbers | 3 | 1.7 |
| Teachers | 3 | 1.7 | Blacksmiths | 2 | 1.1 |
| Physicians | 2 | 1.1 | Miners | 2 | 1.1 |
| Druggists | 1 | 0.6 | Painters | 2 | 1.1 |
| Undertakers | 1 | 0.6 | Printers | 1 | 1.1 |
| Dentists | 1 | 0.6 | Hodmen | 1 | .06 |
| Bookkeepers | 1 | 0.6 | Railroad | 1 | .06 |
| Lawyers | 1 | 0.6 | |
|
|
| Professors | 1 | 0.6 | |
|
|
| Total | 46 | 25.6 | Total | 134 | 74.4 |
| Occupational Distribution of Klansmen in Chicago, Illinois | |||||
| White-Collar Workers | Blue-Collar Workers | ||||
|
Number | Percentage | |
Number | Percentage |
| Businessmen | 22 | 20.0 | Foremen | 8 | 7.3 |
| Salesmen | 13 | 11.8 | R.R. workers | 7 | 6.2 |
| Clerks | 10 | 9.1 | Printers | 4 | 3.7 |
| Lawyers | 5 | 4.6 | Firemen | 3 | 2.7 |
| Physicians | 2 | 1.8 | Unskilled | 3 | 2.7 |
| Dentists | 2 | 1.8 | Postmen | 3 | 2.7 |
| Buyers | 2 | 1.8 | Electricians | 2 | 1.8 |
| Store Mgrs | 2 | 1.8 | Truck Drivers | 2 | 1.8 |
| Realtors | 2 | 1.8 | Motormen | 2 | 1.8 |
| City Employ. | 2 | 1.8 | Policemen | 1 | .09 |
| Administrators | 1 | .09 | Guards | 1 | .09 |
| Undertakers | 1 | .09 | Factory Wks | 1 | .09 |
| Office Mgrs | 1 | .09 | Painters | 1 | .09 |
| Engineers | 1 | .09 | Carpenters | 1 | .09 |
| Musicians | 1 | .09 | Stage Mgrs | 1 | .09 |
|
|
|
Steel Workers | 1 | .09 |
|
|
|
Bakers | 1 | .09 |
|
|
|
Plumbers | 1 | .09 |
| Total | 67 | 60.8 | Total | 43 | 38.8 |
Source: Jackson, Kenneth T. The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930. Oxford University Press, 1967.
Questions for Discussion
- Was the KKK of the 1920’s primarily a Southern movement? Explain.
- Considering the historical context of this time period and the years preceding it, what are the causes for the growth of KKK membership in areas outside of the South? Explain your viewpoint fully.
- Compare and contrast the two charts of Klan members’ occupations in Winchester and Chicago. What are the differences between membership in rural and urban areas?
- Does the information presented in the charts challenge your stereotypes of the KKK? Explain.
- Considering the data presented here and what you know of the historical period, what would you suggest as possible strategies for fighting the spread of the Klan in the 1920’s? Explain why you think those strategies would be successful.
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