1b: My Topic

Unless professor Clark finds this topic unacceptable, I am going to research the evolution of the KKK in Colorado from (roughly) 1915-1930. I chose this topic for several reasons. First of all, we touched very lightly on the KKK in Colorado in a Colorado history course I took a few years ago; though we did not have time to cover much, what we did cover was fascinating to me. Prior to that class, I wasn't even aware that the KKK had a large following in Colorado, and much less that it was the most powerful organization in the state at its peak. Because I did not get to study the subject as much as I would have liked to in that course, I think now is an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into it. What is more, I am very confident that there will be a great deal of information readily available to me (i.e. Colorado newspapers, journals, etc).

As has already been noted, my experience with the KKK in Colorado has been minimal -- that is, I have spent approximately two class periods on the subject. From those two classes, though, I learned that the KKK, originally a pro-slavery social group peculiar to the South, died out in the Reconstruction years, but was revived by Clarence Morley around 1915. In the ensuing years, it made its way to Colorado. Despite its meager beginnings here, the Klan picked up momentum as it recruited members, and it continued to expand, reaching about 2 million members at its peak. It be came very influential in Colorado, having a hand in Denver business, politics, and the like.

What I am interested in, and what I did not have the chance to learn in my Colorado history course, is how the KKK became so influential. There have been many organizations in Colorado that have amassed large followings, but few (if any) have enjoyed the power that the Klan came to enjoy. In my research, I hope to discover the means by which it gained so much clout and influence, as well as how it exerted that influence over Colorado citizens and daily life.