Ku Klux Klan

Following its establishment in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1866, the Ku Klux Klan gained notoriety and visibility in Texas as a discriminatory and vigilant political organization during the Reconstruction era.

Organized by Roger Q. Mills, it focused much of its activity in the northeast part of the state until its brief decline in 1869, due to efforts of state police. Around World War I, the Klan resurged, becoming prominent in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Wichita Falls, among other places, and counting approximately 100,000 members by 1922. In addition to African Americans, the organization targeted and discriminated against Jews and Catholics as well as New Deal politicians and labor organizers. In 1928, Klan membership decreased to 2500 members, and did not become an active presence in Texas again until it responded to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Anti-Klan legislation and FBI involvement contained the organization's movements, however, forcing the Klan to split into several subgroups. Despite a brief revival of Ku Klux Klan activities during the 1980s and 1990s, it has continued to decline in Texas in the latter part of the 20th century.