The Ku Klux Klan and Freemasonry in 1920s America

It is rare that I post on books that address troubling aspects of Freemasonry's role in society. There are several reasons for this, none of which include a desire to avoid controversy or to avoid critiquing Freemasonry. The fraternity is a human institution ana as such it is no more above reproach than any other sphere of human experience. Beyond that, no small number of books critical of Freemasonry have historically been of questionable accuracy and of more questionable intent.

This book however, deserves a read. Now more than ever. It must be remembered that even an institution that historically strove to scrutinize its applicants thorough is likely to not always do so well. One that emphasizes familiarity and presumes a level of character can sometimes be blinded. We all know that in the Southern United States, many though not all masons had been involved in the Confederacy, including some of the most influential. 

Not all who enter Freemasonry truly embody Freemasonry's aspirations and values. Unfortunately, some have not only misrepresented themselves to the fraternity but to themselves as well. This book, without intending to besmirch Freemasonry, applies its own standards of honesty and self-reflection to understand and make clear one of Freemasonry's more troubling  moment. It also demonstrates how the fraternity was able to remain faithful in the longue dure to its true principles.

From the publisher's site:

The Second Ku Klux Klan’s success in the 1920s remains one of the order’s most enduring mysteries. Emerging first as a brotherhood dedicated to paying tribute to the original Southern organization of the Reconstruction period, the Second Invisible Empire developed into a mass movement with millions of members that influenced politics and culture throughout the early 1920s. This study explores the nature of fraternities, especially the overlap between the Klan and Freemasonry. Drawing on many previously untouched archival resources, it presents a detailed and nuanced analysis of the development and later decline of the Klan and the complex nature of its relationship with the traditions of American fraternalism.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Klanishness: Brotherhood in the Invisible Empire

Chapter 2 – Freemasonry’s Fighting Brother: Militancy, Fraternalism and the Ku Klux Klan, 

Chapter 3 – Kluxing America: The Use and Abuse of the Masonic Reputation

Chapter 4 – Hate At $10 a Package: Selling the Invisible Empire

Chapter 5 – Hooded Freemasons: Dual Membership and Conflict in Local Lodges

Chapter 6 – Dallas Klan No.66 and Anaheim Lodge No.207: A Case Study of Two Communities 

Chapter 7 – Friend or Foe? Grand Masters’ Responses to the Ku Klux Klan

Chapter 8 – The Collapse of the Second K.K.K.

Conclusion - An "Invisible" Empire?

This book may disturb some Freemasons, perhaps it should. The instution of Freemasonry in all its varieties needs be reminded that we are not perfect, but hopefully in the process of becoming better. Part of that work is committing to writing a more accurate and probing history of our craft. And reading it.

See Routledge's page on this book