Klansville, U.S.A. was the name given to a town in North Carolina booming with Ku Klux Klan members during the 1960s. After a dramatic fallout during the 1920s, it was a matter of time before the KKK made their much-awaited return. The time that made the most sense was during the Civil Rights Movement.
Once the Klan settled down after booming in the reconstruction era it was only a matter of time before they made their way back into the spotlight. The Klan responded to the acts of progression made by African-Americans during this time by rebuilding the Klan to be larger and more influential than ever.
Bob Jones was born into a family of two former Ku Klux Klan members and was raised to be one. He was a member of the military as well until he refused to salute a black officer and was immediately discharged. After that, he lived and worked to make a somewhat decent living until he decided to organize a rally in August f 1963 in North Carolina not expecting many to show up. About 2,000 showed up which was far more than grand dragon Bob jones expected.
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| A young Bob Jones in his Naval uniform |
After Jones found out that there was a community that would follow him he decided to take it to another level. He would drive around the state having rallies and setting up new chapters to build the population. Eventually, the Klan in North Carolina grew to 10,000 members. This was shocking considering North Carolina was considered one of the few southern states that made a lot of progress in the field of civil rights.
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| One of the many marches Bob Jones (Middle) held throughout the cities and towns of NC. |
These Klan rallies were not all about preaching white supremacy and racism, it was almost like a town fair because of all the attractions and events they had going on during them. With such a large following Bob Jones and the leaders had so many donations to really get people involved. Following the end of the rallies, they would burn a cross almost thirty feet tall!
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| Ending ritual of a burning cross during a KKK rally |
The Klan in North Carolina was so successful that it actually gained political involvement. However, this began the downfall of the Klan because with their growing popularity the FBI started to investigate their dark secrets like the finances of the group. The FBI started to bribe one of Bob Jones's closest acquaintances George Dorsett and he started to expose them.
Bob Jones was eventually arrested for contempt in congress and this started the downfall of Klansville, U.S.A. Members started to lose faith in Bob Jones because of his fishy tactics, and even President Lyndon Johnson warned the people of North Carolina against it.
The Klan is still around today even though it is nothing like what it was then. In 2017 it was reported that there were 42 active groups spread throughout 22 states. In the end, it is legal to be a part of the Klan because of the First Amendment but with the dirty history and horrible racist values, the Klan holds it is hard to believe people still want to be members.
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