MTSU Forrest Hall

#27
#27
You guys are jumping all over this quote when it is absolutely historically accurate.

The point of it was to resist reconstruction measures. Having said this it is no surprise that an organization like this would include certain "unsavory" people. But early on it was mostly just a place for southern civil war vets to get together and "feel" like they have some say in what was happening when in fact they had none.
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Exactly. Former Confederates were disenfranchised after the war. The KKK was their means of regaining their rights as American citizens. Later on it devolved into a vicious hate group.

"Beast" Butler for one.
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Let's not forget the burning of Jackson, Miss., Atlanta, and Columbia, Sc.
 
#28
#28
The KKK stood up in 1865. In 1866 and 1867 Klan members were already taking responsibility for the murders of Carpetbaggers and African-Americans. So, I guess for those first 12-18 months, it was a benevolent organization...
 
#29
#29
I've always thought of the Klan in much the same way as al Qaeda, Hamas or any other terrorists. I'm sure in the beginning they were just all just "friendly" little groups until they gained the means to take action and started feeding on the worst in people.
 
#30
#30
GAVol said:
I've always thought of the Klan in much the same way as al Qaeda, Hamas or any other terrorists. I'm sure in the beginning they were just all just "friendly" little groups until they gained the means to take action and started feeding on the worst in people.
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I was thinking the same thing, you put it into words better than I could. I see the point of the poster that is trying to say that they were not the organization in the beginning that we all recognize them as being now. No rational person would stick up for the KKK today, but yet a group like Hamas can be considered a legitimate political party in some parts of the world.
 
#31
#31
therealUT said:
The KKK stood up in 1865. In 1866 and 1867 Klan members were already taking responsibility for the murders of Carpetbaggers and African-Americans. So, I guess for those first 12-18 months, it was a benevolent organization...
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All I mentioned was the reasoning behind the founding of the organization, my argument wasn't at what point it diverged from its founding principles.
 
#32
#32
I understand what you are saying. I guess my point is that I think while what you are saying may be true, some people use it as a justification which I think is misleading (..and please note that I am NOT accusing you of that, I'm just discussing). No . . . They probably never envisioned what was to become of the KKK, but they also obviously didn't do anything to slow things down once it spun out of control.

It probably was a fraternal organization in the beginning, but I think it was a case of desire meeting opportunity. For whatever their "principles" were, there was obviously a ulterior motive.
 
#33
#33
GAVol said:
I guess my point is that I think it's a little misleading to say the KKK wasn't originally intending to be a terrorist group. No . . . They probably never envisioned what was to become of the KKK, but they also obviously didn't do anything to slow things down once it spun out of control. I think it was a case of desire meeting opportunity . . . but I understand your point.
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True but Forrest did disassociate himself from it relatively early on.
 
#34
#34
jaybird_1981 said:
True but Forrest did disassociate himself from it relatively early on.
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That's very true. I did some research on Forrest in college. He's a tough one to figure out. Was he a scoundrel for being at the forefront of the KKK who was just good at aexplaining it away or a noble man who got a bad rap?
 
#35
#35
Vol_4_Life said:
Exactly. Former Confederates were disenfranchised after the war. The KKK was their means of regaining their rights as American citizens. Later on it devolved into a vicious hate group.



Let's not forget the burning of Jackson, Miss., Atlanta, and Columbia, Sc.
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The burning of Atlanta was a high point in American history. I would fully support a full scale reenacatment.
 
#38
#38
GAVol said:
That's very true. I did some research on Forrest in college. He's a tough one to figure out. Was he a scoundrel for being at the forefront of the KKK who was just good at aexplaining it away or a noble man who got a bad rap?
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I think somewhere in between. I think it all boils down to money like most things. For him losing in the civil war was financially crippling. It's not necessarily that people in the south were "more racist" its just their industry was agricultural while most rich northerners were industry magnates.
 
#39
#39
Forrest distanced himself from the KKK in 1869. The KKK was forcefully disbanded in 1870 by Federal Troops. I would say Forrest's decision to step away was more based upon self-preservation than some enlightened moral sentiment.
 
#42
#42
therealUT said:
Forrest distanced himself from the KKK in 1869. The KKK was forcefully disbanded in 1870 by Federal Troops. I would say Forrest's decision to step away was more based upon self-preservation than some enlightened moral sentiment.
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The Force Act definitely had something to do with Forrest's attack of morality.
 
#43
#43
I think somewhere in between. I think it all boils down to money like most things. For him losing in the civil war was financially crippling. It's not necessarily that people in the south were "more racist" its just their industry was agricultural while most rich northerners were industry magnates.
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Forrest was a millionaire in Memphis before the war. The war ruined his finances and he was pretty much destitute to the day he died.
 
#47
#47
Boo hoo.
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I wasn't making excuses.....just stating facts, so chill out.

So did George Wallace. What a dying man says trying to talk his way into heaven doesn't matter to me.
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Well, when Forrest spoke out in favor of civil rights for blacks he was not dying. If it doesn't matter to you, then why are you here discussing it?
 
#48
#48
Vol_4_Life said:
I wasn't making excuses.....just stating facts, so chill out.



Well, when Forrest spoke out in favor of civil rights for blacks he was not dying. If it doesn't matter to you, then why are you here discussing it?
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I like to make sure revisionist historians like yourself don't get any relief for bigots like Forrest and his ilk, that's why.
 
#49
#49
Vol_4_Life said:
Forrest was a millionaire in Memphis before the war. The war ruined his finances and he was pretty much destitute to the day he died.
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The war ruined his finances because he financed his own militia in an effort to protect his industry...i.e. the slave trade. If he had just pocketed his money and watched the war from the sidelines, he would have had plenty of money to sustain him in the Reconstruction years.
 
#50
#50
therealUT said:
The war ruined his finances because he financed his own militia in an effort to protect his industry...i.e. the slave trade. If he had just pocketed his money and watched the war from the sidelines, he would have had plenty of money to sustain him in the Reconstruction years.
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Funny thing about money is when you quit making it it runs out. So why would he do that?
 
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