The Invisible Empires: American Society and the Ku Klux Klan since 1866: Context
| Module title | The Invisible Empires: American Society and the Ku Klux Klan since 1866: Context |
|---|---|
| Module code | HIH3039 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 18 |
|---|
Module description
The Ku Klux Klan, America’s most iconic terrorist group, has re-emerged multiple times over the course of this nation’s history to defend what its members consider true American values and to attack those deemed to be threats to the country. Since its inception in the Reconstruction period, where it functioned as a vigilante group to combat the changes resulting from the Civil War, the Klan has evolved to espouse a broad variety of reactionary beliefs including white supremacy, anti-Semitism, social conservatism and religious fundamentalism. By examining the development of this particular organization and its alliances with other extremist movements and beliefs, this module will explore the development of the far-right in society and the forms of violence, intimidation, and protest employed by these groups to resist or affect change in American life. Furthermore, this module will focus on how the Klan’s opponents and targets interacted and resisted the growth and influence of this Invisible Empire.
Module aims - intentions of the module
From the birth of this movement in the turbulent Reconstruction period to its contemporary manifestations, the Ku Klux Klan has shaped American society and attitudes towards ideas of race, gender, class, religion, culture and society. Although often regarded as a fringe movement, it has also frequently reflected mainstream conservative values and has attracted popular support from many sectors of the American public. This module aims to:
- Engage critically with current debates about American extremism and conservative mobilisation
- Examine the attitudes of Klansmen and Klanswomen
- Explore their impact on developments such as emancipation in the 1860s or immigration reform in the 1920s
- Analyse the reaction of African-Americans and other racial minorities in the US to rise of the Ku Klux Klan
- Study the strategies used to resist the growth of the organisation
- Engage with the latest approaches in the growing field of Klan historiography, including the cultural representations of the Klan and the role of fraternalism in the expansion of this organisation
- Analyse and participate in broader historiographical debates about race relations, extra-legal violence, far-right extremism and conservative politics in modern America as well as interdisciplinary and theoretical approaches regarding the continued impact of the Ku Klux Klan
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Evaluate the different complex themes in the history of the Ku Klux Klan and its influence on broader American society
- 2. Make close specialist evaluation of the key developments within the period, developed through independent study and seminar work
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Analyse the key developments within a particular historical environment
- 4. Focus on and comprehend complex issues
- 5. Understand and deploy relevant historical terminology in a comprehensible manner
- 6. Follow the complex reasoning inherent in the discourse of the period
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Carry out independent and autonomous study and group work, including presentation of material for group discussion, developed through the mode of learning
- 8. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment
- 9. Present complex arguments orally
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- The origins of this particular movement in Southern traditions of minstrelsy, organised vigilantism, and fraternalism
- Its rapid expansion throughout the region as a terrorist organisation that sought to regulate the behaviour of former slaves and those who attempted to aid them
- The Klan’s re-emergence in the 20th century and its transformation into a nationwide order with a broader conservative and racist ideology
- The reactions of African-Americans and others to the growth of this organisation and analyse the strategies they employed to combat Klan activities
- Broader developments in American history that Klansmen and their opponents experienced, such as the Roaring Twenties, and the Cold War
Some of the students will have already studied aspects of American history, but it this not a prerequisite for the module. The introductory sessions will therefore be important in offering a broad overview of the historiography, context and key concepts to act as a framework through which all students can place their subsequent work. The co-requisite module will also provide close focus on the historical sources available for the study of the Ku Klux Klan and broader American society, so complementing this module. The seminars will focus on the central issues in the history of the Ku Klux Klan and its development in the United States, allowing students to develop their skills and knowledge more fully. Students will be expected to prepare for seminars by reading and evaluating the respective literature in advance, and will discuss the issues raised by them in the seminars. The content of the seminars will vary week on week, with some sessions dedicated to a single concept or case study, while other topics will be analysed over more than one seminar.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 44 | 22 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 256 | Reading and preparation for seminars, coursework and presentations |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar discussion | Ongoing through course. | 1-7, 9 | Oral from tutor and fellow students |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 30 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of 2 written assignments | 70 | 4000 words | 1-8 | Oral and written |
| Seen examination | 30 | 2500 words | 1-8 | Oral and written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written assignment | Written assignment | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Written assignment | Written assignment | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Seen examination | Seen examination | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Kathleen Blee, Women of the Klan: Racism and Gender in the 1920s (University of California Press, 2009)
- David Brown and Clive Webb, Race in the American South: From Slavery to Civil Rights (Edinburgh University Press, 2007)
- David Cunningham, Klansville, U.S.A.: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era Ku Klux Klan (Oxford University Press, 2013)
- David Chalmers, Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan (Duke University Press, 1987)
- Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (Harper Perennial, 2015)
- Elaine Frantz Parsons, Ku-Klux: The Birth of the Klan During Reconstruction (University of North Carolina Press, 2015)
- Kenneth T. Jackson, The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930 (Ivan R. Dee, 1992)
- Shawn Lay, (ed.) The Invisible Empire in the West: Toward a New Historical Appraisal of the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s (University of Illinois Press, 2004)
- Rory McVeigh, The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan: Right-Wing Movements and National Politics (University of Minnesota Press, 2009)
- Thomas R. Pegram, One Hundred Percent American: The Rebirth and Decline of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s (Ivan R. Dee 2011)
- Patsy Sims, The Klan (University Press of Kentucky, 1996)
- Allen W. Trelease, White Terror: The Ku Klux Klan Conspiracy and Southern Reconstruction, (Louisiana State University Press, 1995)
- Wyn Craig Wade, The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America (Simon and Shuster, 1987)
- Clive Webb, Rabble Rousers: The American Far Right in the Civil Rights Era (University of Georgia Press, 2010)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Exeter Electronic Library resources include: ProQuest Theses and Dissertations.
- Key journals for the module are available via JSTOR, Project Muse, Taylor & Francis, Cambridge Journals Online, Oxford Journals.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | At least 90 credits of History at Level 1 and/or Level 2 |
| Module co-requisites | The Invisible Empires: American Society and the Ku Klux Klan, 1866-2018: Sources |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 19/02/2018 |
| Last revision date | 20/08/2020 |