Join this channel to get access to the rest of the series right away: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYK0BJZF3yNb2fw1EdAXUQ/join Episode 2 in the series is available here: https://youtu.be/hpPkpTc5xJs Episode 3 in the series is available here: https://youtu.be/VaIJykoLXgc How did the three iterations of the Ku Klux Klan come into being in 1866, 1915, and the late 1940s? What was the impact of the American Civil War and the Abolition of slavery in 1863 on the rise of this terrifying institution? And, what was the condition of the former slaves in the American South? Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the history behind the formation of the first Ku Klux Klan, its ideology and structure, and the abominable treatment of freedmen in the Confederacy South, following the American Civil War. This episode is sponsored by Anthropic, the team behind Claude. Try Claude for free today at Claude.ai/restishistory Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Social channels: https://www.instagram.com/theresthistory/ https://www.tiktok.com/@theresthistory https://x.com/TheRestHistory https://bsky.app/profile/theresthistory.bsky.social https://www.threads.com/@theresthistory Video Editor: Jack Meek, Harry Swan & Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Aaliyah Akude & Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Digital & Social: Sam Oakley 00:00 The Most Infamous Terror Group in American History 01:09 The Three Ku Klux Klans (And Why They’re All Different) 03:11 America After the Civil War: A Society on the Brink 05:10 “The Cornerstone of the Confederacy Is Slavery” 07:27 Freedom for 3 Million Former Slaves: A New World Begins 10:01 Violence Erupts Across the South After the War 14:58 Six Men Meet… and Start Something Unimaginable 20:06 The Fear of Black Political Power 22:58 “Grand Wizards” and “Ghouls”: The Klan’s Bizarre Hierarchy 24:22 What the Klan Actually Stood For 26:09 Enter Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Klan’s Figurehead 30:06 Elections Shock the South: Black Voters Change Everything 31:33 Anthropic 34:09 The 14th Amendment: A Turning Point in American History 37:24 Violence as Strategy: How the South Fights Back 40:17 How the Klan Expanded So Quickly 42:56 Where the Klan Thrived (And Where It Didn't) 44:13 Who Joined the Klan? 51:15 The Shift to Violence: Terror Begins in Earnest 53:29 Gun Battles in the Streets 56:16 A State on the Edge of Breakdown 56:59 “Only Force Will Stop Them” 58:52 150,000 Members: The Klan at Its Peak