The Reconstruction-Era Ku Klux Klan as Early Fascism

Why did the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan and interwar fascism share such profound similarities? My basic argument is that the Klan prefigured interwar fascist movements that sought political revolution after military defeat. Modern warfare, mass demobilization, and labor revolt converged with American settler institutions during Reconstruction to yield what I call early fascism. The importance of my argument is that it highlights how the Klan was a break from previous traditions of American racist violence and represented a more modern movement than many accounts recognize. Moreover, this article highlights a more transnational perspective on fascist politics and situates the Klan and interwar fascism within the broader arc of colonial racism. I conclude by discussing the implications for discussions about home-grown varieties of American racism, especially what observers called the “fascism debate.” Certain contemporary American social movements—such as the Paleoconservatives—have attempted to adapt fascist politics to a post-civil-rights, post-colonial context and represent counterparts to European post-fascism.