Birth of a Nation

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Birth of a Nation

• US11.5.2. Analyze the international and domestic
  events, interests, and philosophies that prompted
  attacks on civil liberties, including the Palmer
  Raids, Marcus Garveys backto-Africa movement,
  the Ku Klux Klan, immigration quotas and the
  responses of organizations such as the American
  Civil Liberties Union, the National Association
  for the Advancement of Colored People, and the
  Anti-Defamation League to those attacks.
• US11.5.6. Trace the growth and effects of radio
  and movies and their role in the wide world
  diffusion of popular culture.

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Birth of a Nation (1915)

• First Hollywood blockbuster
• One of the most influential movies in US history
• It was a retelling of American history during
  Reconstruction
• First film shown at The White House
• Words of Woodrow Wilson

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The Film Production

• Based on a novel, The Clansman by Thomas Dixon
• First major movie over 60 minutes long (191
  minutes long)
• Made 10 million Highest grossing and most
  profitable movie until 1937
• Black roles mostly performed by whites

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Reactions

• The National Association for the Advancement of
  Colored People (NAACP) organized protests,
  petitions, and an education campaign
• Riots in cities e.g. Boston and Philadelphia
• Other cities refused to show it
• White gangs attacked blacks

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The Rebirth of the Klan

• Ku Klux Klan set up after civil war to attack
  black leaders and suppress the black vote
• Destroyed by President Grant
• 1st Klan 1865-1874
• 2nd Klan 1915- 1944
• 3rd Klan 1945 - present

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Klan Membership

• 1st Klan 550,000 members
• 2nd Klan 4,000,000 members (1920)
• 6,000,000 members (1924)
• 30,000 members (1930)
• 3rd Klan 5,000 members (1980)
• 6,000 members (2008)

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Why did so many join?

• Most support in big cities not rural South
• Large immigration from SE Europe
• Blacks moving to cities
• Birth of Nation national movie launch
• Movie merchandizing by traveling salesmen/ Klan
  organizers

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Who do you hate? Oh, so do we

• Blacks
• Asians
• Jews
• Catholics
• Communists
• Unions
• Bootleggers

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Why did it collapse?

• Excellent marketing but terrible organization
• High turnover (not my cup o tea!)
• Negative press/ media
• Publication of membership lists
• Failure to deliver political change
• Scandal

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KKK today

• 1944 Klan owed 685,000 in taxes to the IRS and
  forced to disband
• 1945- present KKK is broken into 179 independent
  chapters
• Like Al-Qaeda, no central control and many
  different groups take the name

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Why wont it die?

• Movies!!!!
• convenient vehicle for attacking/ mocking white
  racism Southern bigotry
• Quickly identifiable character
• Everyone hates them/ fears them
• Hence the attraction for bigoted, white,
  under-achievers searching for respect and power