The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s provided what was perhaps one of the most spectacular examples of patriotism, secrecy and malevolence ever witnessed, and as with all sensational organisations , has been subject to a great deal of speculation concerning it's origins and success. The second Ku Klux Klan, which was modelled on the Reconstruction-era order , has myriad causes attributable to its rise. Essentially it was the perfect formula of financial opportunism and the chameleonic nature of the Klan , that successfully manipulated existing grievances into a barrage of support for the hooded order. Factors such as popular cultural revisionism , World War One and the ensuing changes to the traditional American way of life as well as the hatred of foreigners were contributing factors to the Klan's re-birth. …
