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Before he passed, my grandfather wrote me a letter about his family line. His grandfather was a Confederate soldier (MO/Ky) in a society during the Civil War called The Golden Circle. As was his dad before him during Mex-Am war.
I'm about to research online, but any info would be great. Who were these men? What was there objective? Where can I obtain more info?
Before he passed, my grandfather wrote me a letter about his family line. His grandfather was a Confederate soldier (MO/Ky) in a society during the Civil War called The Golden Circle. As was his dad before him during Mex-Am war.
I'm about to research online, but any info would be great. Who were these men? What was there objective? Where can I obtain more info?
You are referencing The Knights of the Golden Circle which was a forerunner of the KKK. It was founded in the SW in the mid 1850's as a secret society pledged to promoting the interests of white Christians.
The "golden circle" described an ambition, that Mexico, Central America and Cuba would one day be annexed by the US and established as slave colonies.
The organization expanded, became less secret, and eventually emerged in a far larger form as the Copperheads, those Northerners who sympathized with the South and opposed the war against them. Their membership was large in the mid western states, particularly in the Southern portions of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.
Their cause was crushed when Abraham Lincoln was reelected in 1864 and their political organization drifted apart. They found a new venue for their expression and activities after the war when the Klan was founded. Northern membership in the KKK was composed largely of former Knights
kkk???
I haven't read anything like that yet, but I do say I'm not enjoying what I've found online so far. Seeing as my gggg-grandfather lived near Lexington where it was orig. formed, and was a confederate I can see how it may be true. However, my gg grandfather married an Osage woman, and my grandfather married a Chilen/Mexican...doesn't sound much like KKK. unless they didn't care to hold up his their ancestors ideals.
Think I'll keep this little gem to myself and not pass it on to my children.
Thanks.
kkk???
I haven't read anything like that yet, but I do say I'm not enjoying what I've found online so far. Seeing as my gggg-grandfather lived near Lexington where it was orig. formed, and was a confederate I can see how it may be true. However, my gg grandfather married an Osage woman, and my grandfather married a Chilen/Mexican...doesn't sound much like KKK. unless they didn't care to hold up his their ancestors ideals.
Think I'll keep this little gem to myself and not pass it on to my children.
Thanks.
Well, the KGC was not connected to the KKK at all, nor did it have the same purpose. It did support the institution of Slavery and the expansion of that institution, but that was true of many people during that era, but the KGC had members in both the north and the south.
Considering the many conspiracy theories involving the KGC (most of which have remarkably little hard evidence), it might actually be sort of an interesting item to pass on to your children.
You are referencing The Knights of the Golden Circle which was a forerunner of the KKK. It was founded in the SW in the mid 1850's as a secret society pledged to promoting the interests of white Christians.
The "golden circle" described an ambition, that Mexico, Central America and Cuba would one day be annexed by the US and established as slave colonies.
The organization expanded, became less secret, and eventually emerged in a far larger form as the Copperheads, those Northerners who sympathized with the South and opposed the war against them. Their membership was large in the mid western states, particularly in the Southern portions of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.
Their cause was crushed when Abraham Lincoln was reelected in 1864 and their political organization drifted apart. They found a new venue for their expression and activities after the war when the Klan was founded. Northern membership in the KKK was composed largely of former Knights
I have read some of the KGC, but I'm not too sure if it was a forerunner to the KKK as you state.
In essence it was a Knights Templar/Freemasons of the Southern US/CSA.
I have read some of the KGC, but I'm not too sure if it was a forerunner to the KKK as you state.
In essence it was a Knights Templar/Freemasons of the Southern US/CSA.
I suppose it could have been a parallel organization. The Freemasons were well established in the Southern states well before the Civil War. Of course, nothing would have prevented people from joining several different organizations.
The KGC was dissolved in 1864, while the first KKK was not organized until 1865, so they existed at different time periods. The goal of the KGC was to prepare for the annexation of the "Golden Circle" territories as Slave states, while the KKK's goal was restore White supremacy during the Reconstruction era, so their aims were different as well.
The KGC was dissolved in 1864, while the first KKK was not organized until 1865, so they existed at different time periods. The goal of the KGC was to prepare for the annexation of the "Golden Circle" territories as Slave states, while the KKK's goal was restore White supremacy during the Reconstruction era, so their aims were different as well.
Different? Both had as their goal, white Christian domination of their society. One may have been concerned with expanding that society, and the other with trying to ressurect it, but the aim was the same.
The KGC was dissolved in 1864, while the first KKK was not organized until 1865, so they existed at different time periods. The goal of the KGC was to prepare for the annexation of the "Golden Circle" territories as Slave states, while the KKK's goal was restore White supremacy during the Reconstruction era, so their aims were different as well.
I don't pretend to know much about this other than a few mentions of it in things I've read after seeing this thread. However, I fail to see your logic here.
The KGC was dedicated to the preservation of slavery and annexation of slave states in the "golden circle" territories and the dominance of white Christians. They disbanded in 1864 when the Civil War was all but lost.
The KKK appears less than a year later dedicated to the idea of establishing and maintaining white Christian supremacy in the former slave states during Reconstruction.
Seems to me like the members of the KGC realized that their goal of a separate "slave nation" was unattainable at that time, so they fell back on preserving the place of white Christians as supreme in the south. I mean, it's not like the two groups were separated by decades, it was mere months.
Think about it this way. Club "A" dissolves so the people who really cared about what Club "A" stood for go off and form Club "B". It doesn't mean that the entirety of "A" became "B", but they are certainly linked.
Following that chain of logic, it would seem that the statment that the KGC was the progenitor of the KKK is in fact correct.
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