They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

This is a cumulative history of civil rights and the formation of the KKK in response to them. It is formal, written like a really interesting text book. It is written chronologically, and full of photos, paintings, and documents beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation and ending with the

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election of Barak Obama. It shows how the KKK has changed through out the years and how they are still around today.

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Bartoletti chronicles a part of American history that some of us might have heard about very superficially, but have never really learned about in any great detail. The Klu Klux Klan remains somewhat mythologized in our culture; they are a notorious group, but few of us know much about their

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origins, beliefs, and persistence as an active group today. Bartoletti’s use of images and primary source material artfully explores the origins of hate and its influence on home-grown terrorism.

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This book is a history of the KKK and is filled with pictures of woodblocks, primary source articles, and pictures taken in 1937 of ex-slaves with their comments. Each chapter talks about how the group tried to keep ex-slaves down through attacks on their persons and homes, their churches and

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religious leaders, their voting, and their education and attempts to gain literacy. The factual events are heart wrenching with no lack of violence.

For example, one such attack was made on a preacher named Elias Hill and his family because he supposedly talked about the Klan in his sermons. After beating his sister-in-law and whipping Elias, they ordered him to quit preaching and are quoted as saying "Don't pray against us," one of the men warned Elias. "Pray that God may bless and save us."

At the end of the book is a helpful timeline which ends with the election of Barack Obama. However, it is noted that the Klan still exists along with a total of 932 active hate groups.

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The story of the founding and growth of the Ku Klux Klan, from its start after the civil war until the 1960's. Includes first person accounts from interviews in the 1930's.

It is not often that I read nonfiction, especially nonfiction YA books. When I do, it is usually for my classroom. This book, They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group is one that I had selected to purchase for use in my classroom this year. I chose this text because

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I am deeply interested in human and civil rights and want to promote an accepting and inviting atmosphere for all students in my classroom.

This is not always easy to do in rural Maine. Our state has been called the "whitest" in the country; our school has less than 1% of students of African American, Asian American, or Latino American descent. Combined. (We do have a stronger showing of Native American students at about 3%.) And, for a state so far from the Mason-Dixon Line, we have an awful lot of Confederate flags on belt buckles and bumper stickers.

I am not implying that there is more racism in our school than in any other across the country. I do think that there is an extreme lack of information about other cultures. So, I purchase books like this one in hopes that students will learn. Here's what this book has to offer:

-A time line of events starting before the Civil War and leading up to the election of President Obama

-A collection of ads, articles, cartoons, drawings, and photographs depicting civil rights issues

-An easy-to-understand representation of historical events, including political movements and policies related to civil rights, voting procedures, and the formation of the KKK

-Reproductions of historical documents, like the Emancipation Proclamation

-Pictures and interview excerpts from former slaves

This book is extremely user and reader-friendly. I am not exactly sure what the reading level is, but it is probably somewhere between 8th and 10th grade. Some sections are easier to understand than others. Overall, I learned a lot about the politics and the agendas of both the American North and South during the years before and after the Civil War.



I think that this is an essential text for classrooms across our country. The information and the visuals contained in this book make it an enticing read for any up-and-coming civil rights activist. Hopefully, some of my students will be inspired to read it and then spread awareness about civil rights. Because the fight is not yet finished.

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The KKK. Those three letters still strike fear and conjure disturbing images from times past. In Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s book, They Called Themselves the KKK the Birth of an American Terrorist Group, the origins of the group are examined and placed within a historical context. The book begins

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at the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction, a time when many people in the southern states felt that they were being ill treated and misrepresented by the federal government in the north. The fear of becoming something less than what they had been was a constant presence for wealthy southerners, as was the fear that the newly freed slaves would rise above them. It is in this context that we meet the six founding members of the KKK in Pulaski, Tennessee. From its inception, they KKK spread rapidly throughout the south, and as it spread the violence associated with it escalated.
Bartoletti does an excellent job explaining how the KKK managed to easily fit in with southern society at that time in history. Primary sources are cited throughout the book, and are often included as images with captions. They Called Themselves the KKK also includes interviews with former slaves who lived through being freed and the horrors that ensued with the KKK. Every other chapter has a picture of one of these people during their old age, and a quote about the KKK or the experience of learning they had been freed. Photographs, sketches, or KKK announcements from the time are found on almost all pages of the book, and often have extensive captions explaining their significance. Unfortunately, the book only briefly covers the activities of the KKK since the late 1800s when the federal government cracked down on the organization. Appendices at the end of the book offer a civil rights timeline up to the present, and an extensive explanation of sources. This often disturbing read is best suited for grades 8 and up.

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Excellent book about the history of the Ku Klux Klan. Bartoletti takes the reader on a journey from the pre-Civil War time through modern day. The majority of the book focuses on the Civil War time when the Ku Klux Klan had the most power. The descriptions of what the Klan did to both whites and

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blacks is devastating.

Well-researched, thought-provoking and fascinating, this book is highly recommended for both teens and adults.

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Bartoletti, know for her amazing non-fiction recounting of the Irish Potato Famine and Hitler Youth, has done it again with They Called Themselves the K.K.K. She writes in an easy to understand, yet gripping manner about how the KKK was formed, the atrocities they performed and the way they

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literally got away with murder.

Interspersed with the narrative are photos of former slaves who were interviewed by the US Government in the late 1930s, copies of newspaper notices about KKK meetings, political cartoons by Thomas Nast among others and articles appearing in Southern papers.

The book concentrates on the 1800s and glides through the 1900s and 2000s but it provides enough information for readers to get a handle on the KKK's later years. The describes how Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's successor, almost undid all the good that Lincoln began. His strong Southern leanings favored Southern whites at the expense of Southern Blacks.

Every Bartoletti books has been top-notch and this is no exception. Absolutely a must read.

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Bartoletti takes the reader on a well-researched, thorough journey from the K.K.K.’s inception to its ultimate legal demise. The power of this book lies in its authentic stories from firsthand accounts of those who had run-ins with the terrorist group. Also, Bartoletti includes an abundance of

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photographs, illustrations, and maps to provide us with genuineness and immediacy of the narrative.

A Civil Rights Time Line, Quote Attributions, Bibliography and Source Notes, and Index are included in the back of the book. They Called Themselves the K.K.K. is excellent, meticulous non-fiction that is appropriate for middle school readers and beyond.

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It always amazes me to hear these stories. i can't figure out why people do such arrogant and viscous things to one another. This is a good history book and needs to be read by young people so that they can understand the wrongness and be taught why these things happen and how we can avoid them

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from repeating

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This books talks about the end of the Civil War and the events leading up to the start of the KKK. It then tells some of the KKK horror stories.

This is a book about the KKK and how it formed. There are many horrifying stories as to what this hate group did which makes the book very tragic. Many facts in the book and very detailed.

A fantastic but very dark book about the KKK and its beginnings in America and how it spread. A very controvitersial topic, it is handled very well, loaded with information, and actual photographs of slaves and exceprt of cartoons and quotes from newspapers, this book would be very good for older

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children to open their eyes to the destruction and fear caused by the KKK. The reader is allowed to make thir own judgements and would make a good book to en courage further pursuit of different tragedies that have happened based on fear and bad economies.

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Bartoletti has assembled a top-notch account of the origin and development of the Ku Klux Klan using primary resources and first- hand accounts, including newspaper articles and interviews with those who lived during the Reconstruction era. This is an excellent resource for Social Studies teachers

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and a riveting read for those interested in the facts regarding the philosophical mindset of the Klan.

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If there is one bad thing to be said about "They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group" is that it leaves you wanting more. A detailed, fascinating look at the birth of the KKK following the Civil War, it begins with an author's note regarding the use of direct quotes,

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language in context, and the violent and graphic nature of some of the content, a welcome warning for those who want an uncensored and realistic look at history. Each chapter is richly detailed with photographs and documents to support the claims mad. They also end with direct quotations from the slave narratives, (interviews done in 1937 with former slaves, which offers direct insight from those who experienced these events.
Bartoletti addresses difficult issues, such as the white-washing of historical events, and the involvement of Government officials. She also presents a context for these events, discussing the very real poverty and deprivation that Southerners were suffering following their defeat. She definitely does not excuse their actions, but it gives understanding for why this organization was able to take root.
Perfect for 7th to 12th graders, also includes recommendations for further study and extensive bibliographies.

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These days, whenever someone mentions terrorists, most people think internationally. But terrorists have been around in America since before we were a nation, and after the Civil War, the most infamous ones gave themselves a name: Ku Klux Klan. When the Civil War ended, the southern states were

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destroyed economically and socially, and the Reconstruction caused great fear with the changes being forced into society. A nighttime meeting of six men in Pulaski, Tennessee who were discussing politics and what they wanted, led to: "Boys, let us get up a club or society." They raided a linen closet for sheets, made up names, copied fraternity rituals, and made up handshakes and secret codes. And then they went on night rides... Many joined their "club." New members included ex-Confederate soldiers, local judges, law officers, farmers and businessmen, and they started their own local groups within the Klan as the ideas spread. The night rides were meant to intimidate freed slaves and those who supported their rights into silence and inaction, but in reality this intimidation led to threats, shootings, beatings and lynchings. Fear was the driving force on both sides, but the Klan and their supporters had physical, economic and political power behind them.This is one of the most important books to be published this year, for it gives readers a detailed history of this particular American terrorist group through primary and secondary source documents, drawings and photographs, interviews and articles. Though the Klan was started long ago, it continues today. I remember the Klan coming into my high school parking lot, trying to recruit the white football players as they left campus for lunch. I was amused by the sight of men in suits running from the boys I knew, who did not take kindly to those men telling them that members of their finally-winning team were worthless because of the color of their skin. That was 1986, in Oklahoma. More recently, Susan Bartoletti actually attended a Klan rally one weekend in Arkansas, hearing one speaker tell the crowd "We don't need robes... a silent majority in America agrees with us." Racism will not die a quiet death until more of us learn about it and use that knowledge to stand up to bigots. You don't have to be a linebacker to do it.

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This thoroughly researched, dense read is a history of the KKK from it's origins through more contemporary history. Many images are embedded within the texts as well as excerpts from narratives collected from formed slaves during the 1930s.

I liked best about this book the author’s professionalism and authoritative accounting of the facts. The fascinating visuals, mostly 19th century photos of slaves or KKK members, as well as key documents, show the depth of research Bartoletti undertook to write this book. It's told as a series of

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interrelated vignettes, and mostly covers the Civil War era; it is not a complete history of the KKK. The prose is sharp, concise, compassionate, and above all well-informed. It's a gripping read. This nonfiction book should appeal to readers of fiction.

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This is a great, seemingly comprehensive, picture of the KKK. I learned so much about where the name came from and what kinds of things the group was responsible for. I appreciate that Bartoletti provides primary source documentation and is able to make, what could be a boring treatment, a bit more

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exciting. I can't seem to keep it in the library, so the kids are also enjoying it.

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Summary: A chilling and revealing book on the past and present of the KKK.
Review: This book was incredible and highly recommended! The author has done her research and immersed herself to the point of attending a meeting so she is able to capture the whole picture and reveal it to each reader. This

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book should be a must in schools for historical literature.

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Though this was a dense read, it was also very informative and interesting. Packed with tons of information, this book does not tell the story of the KKK as we usually think. It shows the history, fromt their very beginnings right after the end of the civil war, and gives great insight on the

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thought process of those involved. While some of the stories are dense, some are chilling and disturbing, and with lots of graphics to break up the text, it becomes a much more conquerable read. Also great for research, since it is full of primary source documents and images.

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Superb work of history!

I am always disturbed by what we humans will do to each other out of hatred, fear and ignorance. It also makes me wonder if I too possess some of these qualities and what would cause them to come out. How many times do I do something unknowingly? Is every time I don't speak out a small act of

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violence on it's own?

The other thing that really disturbed me about this book is that some of the reasoning, some of the plotting sounds almost reasonable and is rhetoric I hear today from people I wouldn't necessarily consider to be prejudiced. I know the KKK is not as big as it used to be, but the insidious thoughts still exist.

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Listened to the audiobook. Narrated very well and keeps the attention. Non-fiction account of the events during the uprising and reign of the KKK. Very detailed about how the organization started, all of the horrible things they did, their initial intentions and how everything blew up. Tells

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personal accounts and stories you don't learn about in history class!

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