Location
Comstock Memorial Union, MSUM
Document Type
Poster
Event Website
https://www.mnstate.edu/sac/
Start Date
15-4-2025 12:00 AM
End Date
15-4-2025 12:00 AM
Publication Date
4-15-2025
Description
On September 16th, 1922, The Northwestern Bulletin in the Twin Cities sounded the alarm, “Believe it or not, they’re here!” The second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States emerged as a reactionary movement to the various social crises and the fast-moving culture of the 1920s. The Klan impacted every state with varying degrees of success, whether it be Oregon, Indiana, Oklahoma, Florida, or New York. However, public knowledge of the Minnesotan experience regarding the Ku Klux Klan is nearly all-forgotten and often erased. Drawing from newspapers, oral histories, state records, Klan documents, and personal correspondence. This study will examine why the Klan was able to resonate with so many Minnesotans, addressing both what the Klan did and its lasting impact on the state. How did they resonate with Minnesotans, where was the Klan the strongest, who were they against, and who opposed them? The ultimate goal of this study is to spread awareness about a past that is being erased and although the Klan was unsuccessful in its goals. The North Star Klan, even in its smallest chapters, impacted every Minnesotan and left behind a legacy that many wish to forget.
Minnesota's Own: The North Star Klan
Comstock Memorial Union, MSUM
On September 16th, 1922, The Northwestern Bulletin in the Twin Cities sounded the alarm, “Believe it or not, they’re here!” The second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States emerged as a reactionary movement to the various social crises and the fast-moving culture of the 1920s. The Klan impacted every state with varying degrees of success, whether it be Oregon, Indiana, Oklahoma, Florida, or New York. However, public knowledge of the Minnesotan experience regarding the Ku Klux Klan is nearly all-forgotten and often erased. Drawing from newspapers, oral histories, state records, Klan documents, and personal correspondence. This study will examine why the Klan was able to resonate with so many Minnesotans, addressing both what the Klan did and its lasting impact on the state. How did they resonate with Minnesotans, where was the Klan the strongest, who were they against, and who opposed them? The ultimate goal of this study is to spread awareness about a past that is being erased and although the Klan was unsuccessful in its goals. The North Star Klan, even in its smallest chapters, impacted every Minnesotan and left behind a legacy that many wish to forget.
https://red.mnstate.edu/sac/2025/cah/1