They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group (Bartoletti, Susan Campbell; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010; 172 p.; ISBN 9780618440337)
Bartoletti documents the beginnings of one of the most feared groups of humans in the history of this country. She uses clear, concise language to explain how a group of white men in the South hatched a plan in an attempt to quash any upward social movement—and even some basic freedoms—of African Americans. It is an account of the horrifying potential for man to inflict devastation as a reaction to personal fear.
The author begins with a brief history of the Civil War, using many primary sources to give as thorough a picture of the issues as possible in the limited space of a chapter. Her accounts are vivid and her own narrative is nonjudgmental. The real story begins in Pulaski, Tennessee when six officers from the Confederate army decided not to accept their defeat, but rather to gather other white men who feared any gain in power and privileges among black men and women and squash it down. This secret group grew into the Ku Klux Klan, a name that originally was taken from the Greek “kuklos,” or circle.
Many pictures and illustrations accompany the accessible text, making this an appropriate text for younger readers who may not yet have the attention span for a more advanced text. The chapter titles alone are enough to pique most readers’ interest, such as “Boys, Let Us Get Up a Club,” “They Say a Man Ought Not to Vote,” and “A Whole Race Trying to Go to School.” The author includes a time line of Civil Rights, quote attributions, a bibliography and thorough source notes, and an index.
Ages 12 and up
Bartoletti documents the beginnings of one of the most feared groups of humans in the history of this country. She uses clear, concise language to explain how a group of white men in the South hatched a plan in an attempt to quash any upward social movement—and even some basic freedoms—of African Americans. It is an account of the horrifying potential for man to inflict devastation as a reaction to personal fear.
The author begins with a brief history of the Civil War, using many primary sources to give as thorough a picture of the issues as possible in the limited space of a chapter. Her accounts are vivid and her own narrative is nonjudgmental. The real story begins in Pulaski, Tennessee when six officers from the Confederate army decided not to accept their defeat, but rather to gather other white men who feared any gain in power and privileges among black men and women and squash it down. This secret group grew into the Ku Klux Klan, a name that originally was taken from the Greek “kuklos,” or circle.
Many pictures and illustrations accompany the accessible text, making this an appropriate text for younger readers who may not yet have the attention span for a more advanced text. The chapter titles alone are enough to pique most readers’ interest, such as “Boys, Let Us Get Up a Club,” “They Say a Man Ought Not to Vote,” and “A Whole Race Trying to Go to School.” The author includes a time line of Civil Rights, quote attributions, a bibliography and thorough source notes, and an index.
Ages 12 and up
