The KKK In El Paso
El Paso, Texas was mainly influenced by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920's. The klan affected the city politically, religiously, and racially. They had millions of members by the 1870's, their purpose then became political. They were against Jews, Catholics, anti-prohibitionists, and those of liberal and racial views in El Paso. The klan's goal was to prevent black southerners from putting republicans in power of the southern states. The Ku Klux Klan was most active during school or political elections. The klan lost its power in El Paso as segregation laws took effect in the south. The city was vulnerable to the klan because the impact of the Mexican Revolution still strongly affected the city. Many of the Anglos that arrived in El Paso we not aware of the racially intolerant south. With the attitude of the newcomers, the El Paso boarder became vulnerable to the Ku Klux Klan. A frontier klan was established in 1921. Attorney's, politicians, bankers, and business men and women were law-abiding and respectable citizens that were members of the Ku Klux Klan. The klan controlled the the newspaper and what went out, they did this to boost their support and funds. They claimed to be against all crimes, of any kind, though they were the ones who committed them. They promised to eliminate prostitution, gambling, car theft, and home burglaries in El Paso. Klan members would take pictures of the juveniles and show their parents. The klan was concerned with the political issues, to arouse enthusiasm the klan decided to march in a city parade with their white masks and robes.
The Ku Klux Klan thought that the Roman Catholic Church was trying to take control of the public school systems. Some klan members became candidates for school elections hoping to gain control of the schools, eventually they did. With their new found power they proceeded to change the school names to commemorate Texas heroes; they changed El Paso High to Sam Houston High. The school board held secret meetings to vote out people in the school systems who opposed the klan and/or are catholic. In March 1922, the Ku Klux Klan initiated 300 men by Kern Place, after that they drove up to Mount Franklin where they set a cross on fire. 3,500 more El Pasoans joined during the rest of the Ku Klux Klan's existence.
William H. Fryer was the first person to stand up to the Ku Klux Klan. Fryer filled an injunction to four candidates for an upcoming election, they were believed to be members of the KKK. Once the Ku Klux Klan was exposed Fryer stopped threatening them. Anti-klan members were followed believed klan members confirming their belief. The Anti-klan members went to one of the KKK's secret meetings and wrote down their license plate numbers, eventually all the members were exposed. Others who opposed the klan, like police chief James Black and El Paso Times editor Peyton J. Edward, did everything in there power to suppress the Ku Klux Klan. On February 1923 the klan was defeated when R.M. Dudley, an anti-klansman was elected mayor by the El Pasoans. Later that year in April the klan started to lose school elections. People believed that they should maintain a good relationship with the Mexicans for business purposes, this weakened the KKK. The klan's member base began to rapidly decrease to a small amount of individuals, eventually they all left
El Paso, Texas was mainly influenced by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920's. The klan affected the city politically, religiously, and racially. They had millions of members by the 1870's, their purpose then became political. They were against Jews, Catholics, anti-prohibitionists, and those of liberal and racial views in El Paso. The klan's goal was to prevent black southerners from putting republicans in power of the southern states. The Ku Klux Klan was most active during school or political elections. The klan lost its power in El Paso as segregation laws took effect in the south. The city was vulnerable to the klan because the impact of the Mexican Revolution still strongly affected the city. Many of the Anglos that arrived in El Paso we not aware of the racially intolerant south. With the attitude of the newcomers, the El Paso boarder became vulnerable to the Ku Klux Klan. A frontier klan was established in 1921. Attorney's, politicians, bankers, and business men and women were law-abiding and respectable citizens that were members of the Ku Klux Klan. The klan controlled the the newspaper and what went out, they did this to boost their support and funds. They claimed to be against all crimes, of any kind, though they were the ones who committed them. They promised to eliminate prostitution, gambling, car theft, and home burglaries in El Paso. Klan members would take pictures of the juveniles and show their parents. The klan was concerned with the political issues, to arouse enthusiasm the klan decided to march in a city parade with their white masks and robes.
The Ku Klux Klan thought that the Roman Catholic Church was trying to take control of the public school systems. Some klan members became candidates for school elections hoping to gain control of the schools, eventually they did. With their new found power they proceeded to change the school names to commemorate Texas heroes; they changed El Paso High to Sam Houston High. The school board held secret meetings to vote out people in the school systems who opposed the klan and/or are catholic. In March 1922, the Ku Klux Klan initiated 300 men by Kern Place, after that they drove up to Mount Franklin where they set a cross on fire. 3,500 more El Pasoans joined during the rest of the Ku Klux Klan's existence.
William H. Fryer was the first person to stand up to the Ku Klux Klan. Fryer filled an injunction to four candidates for an upcoming election, they were believed to be members of the KKK. Once the Ku Klux Klan was exposed Fryer stopped threatening them. Anti-klan members were followed believed klan members confirming their belief. The Anti-klan members went to one of the KKK's secret meetings and wrote down their license plate numbers, eventually all the members were exposed. Others who opposed the klan, like police chief James Black and El Paso Times editor Peyton J. Edward, did everything in there power to suppress the Ku Klux Klan. On February 1923 the klan was defeated when R.M. Dudley, an anti-klansman was elected mayor by the El Pasoans. Later that year in April the klan started to lose school elections. People believed that they should maintain a good relationship with the Mexicans for business purposes, this weakened the KKK. The klan's member base began to rapidly decrease to a small amount of individuals, eventually they all left