Ku Klux Klan

The North divided the South into military districts and the KKK did not like it. The night rides soon ensued one again and they were more deadlier then ever. During this time period the Klan spread completely throughout every corner of the USA. Soon different factions were formed and the KKK adopted signs, codes, and signals to tell Klansmen apart from normal people. Most of these are still used today.
             The years 1868 through 1871 was the KKK reign of terror. This started one of the most horrendous time periods of the Klan=s actions. They started warning blacks and northerners they did not like with harassing letters among other things. If the people did not listen they were either warned again or tarred and feathered, beaten, or flogged. If they did not listen once again and stop what ever Awrong@ they were doing, they were either chased out of town, shot, or hanged. If an African American was well behaved like a slave, the KKK left them alone. They were known as Agood Negroes@. The process of turning African Americans into Agood Negroes@ was called Astraightening up and being good@ and by Atouching him up a little@. The reign of terror finally ended in the early 1870's after many African American deaths.
             The end of the first era of the clan ended abruptly when the North put military into the picture. The federal government was after the KKK to destroy it. Soon Forrest believed that the clan had gotten out of control, and that there was always a place for any man in society. The clan .
             officially disbanded in January 1869. Bedford left the clan and was actually a friend to most African Americans. He helped many African Americans escape to the North and many were also his friends. Hundreds of African Americans attending his funeral in 1877. .
             Bedford=s leave of the Klan. They started committing horrendous murders and crimes for no reason. They soon started attacking even those who defended African Americans.