The Ku Klux Klan At the end of the American Civil War in 1866 the Ku Klux Klan was formed. It is a white supremacist group that uses violence and intimidation to reassert white dominance in the United States. Klan attacks were targeted against African Americans, Jews, Catholics, immigrants, and other minority groups. The Ku Klux Klan believes that after the Civil War in America white citizens faced many problems due to the freeing of African American slaves. They feared that these slaves would rebel and form a revolt against white Americans. The Klan believes that many of these cases occurred and the government turned a blind eye too often. The Ku KluxKlan then formed in May 1866 to defend white rights in the American South. Originally, the small group was only social in nature and simply discussed their beliefs about "black tyranny", however the group grew and began to terrorize African Americans. breaking into their homes, often wearing white sheets. In 1867 many Klans were founded, most of the leaders were former members of the Confederate army, a group......................... In the following years the Klan expanded with more young extremists and began to spread northward. As the white rebellion grew larger, they began wearing white cardboard brands and hats and were wrapped in white sheets. Many Klans tortured and killed African Americans and sympathetic whites. Immigrants were also blamed for the election of "radical Republicans" and were also terrorized. Successful African American businessmen were attacked and fired and any attempts made to form black protection groups such as labor unions were stopped... halfway through the document... they identified this man as Robert Chamblissa, member of the Ku Klux He and the Klan were arrested and charged with murder and possession of dynamite without a permit. On the day of his court trial he was found not guilty of murder and received a $100 fine and a six-month prison sentence for possession of dynamite. Cases like this were extremely common with Klansmen unlikely to even get arrested for serious crimes in the southern states of America. Now the Ku Klux Klan still exists in smaller numbers throughout America and in some parts of Europe. There are an estimated 2,500-3,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan and other associated groups. However, strong law enforcement and zero tolerance for racist acts and crimes have meant that these horrific acts are very rare. Civil rights organizations also ensured equal treatment of all races.