Super Short Summary

They Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti documents the formation of the Ku Klux Klan in 1865 post-Civil War, led by six Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee, initially as a means to reclaim their sense of worth. The group quickly became a racially motivated terrorist organization, aiming to disrupt Reconstruction and maintain white supremacy through intimidation, violence, and murder, directly opposing efforts to secure rights for Black Americans. The narrative highlights the systemic oppression and violent acts faced by freed Black individuals during this period.