Henry McNeal Turner and Ku Klux Klan

        Henry McNeal Turner was an African American minister who was elected to the Georgia General Assembly. He was also the first Southern bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Democratic Legislature of the assembly removed Turner and other black legislators because they claimed that the right to vote differs from the right to hold office. The Federal government protested and the Turner and the others went back to their seats. Even though black men were free and had the same rights as white men they were still treated inhumanely by a lot of people. Some of those people were known as the Ku Klux Klan.

        The Ku Klux Klan is a terrorist group that began as a secret society after the war. The group was created by a former Confederate leader. They were America's first domestic terrorists. In the beginning the KKK tried to restore white supremacy by stopping African Americans from voting and taking their rights away. They also targeted Radical Republicans that were trying to guarantee black's civil rights. They would do this by committing acts of terrorism. Some instances included threats while some were murder. Lynching was popular among the acts of terrorism that were committed by the KKK. Lynching is hanging and leaving the person hung there. They would often wear white robes and masks as their uniform and also so they would hide their identity. KKK groups are still around today mostly in Mississippi and Alabama. As of 2012 it is estimated that there are around 5,000 - 8,000 current members. They use the first amendment as their defense when the government attempts to interfere.