The end of the Civil War left a fearful and resentful South struggling to understand the changes the war had wrought. Those seeking a focus for their anger quickly turned on recently emancipated blacks. Chief among them was the newly formed Ku Klux Klan.

Some of those targeted by the Klan's murderous activities turned to armed resistance and retaliation as their only resort.

This volume examines the actions of the Ku Klux Klan between the years of 1865 and 1899: how the organization sponsored violence against former slaves, and how that violence eventually led to the formation of armed defensive groups. The author considers both the history and the sociology behind these events. Appendices provide excerpts from a variety of primary sources including contemporary newspaper articles, correspondence and personal diaries.