Ku Klux Klan is a name that perhaps everyone has heard at least once in their lifetime. Most associate this group with a terrible history of African American oppression and hatred through the use of grotesque methods of torture and killing. Some may wonder how and why such a horrible organization was formed. The name Nathan Bedford Forrest may not be one that is heard very often, but it is to this man who helped to get the Klan up and running in its early years.
Nathan Bedford Forrest served as a General for the Confederate army during the Civil War and was said to have been one of the strongest leaders of the Confederate army. Forrest was the oldest of nine children and was thrust into the role of caretaker after his father passed away when Forrest was just sixteen years old. 1 A tragedy such as this could take its toll on a young person, but instead of falling down, Forrest quickly began making a name for himself. He began by working with his uncle to trade horses and then later moved on to the business of buying and selling slaves and real estate. Forrest became very successful in his businesses and in turn became a very wealthy man. 2
When his home state of Tennessee made the decision to secede from the Union, Nathan Bedford Forrest wasted no time in volunteering as a private soldier. 3 He was well known in the area and moved up the ranks to earn his title of General rather quickly. Forrest was said to have been a fearless man who had no problems taking action quickly and forcefully. He thought of his men as his own flesh and blood and was quick to straighten them out if necessary. 4
The Ku Klux Klan was formed shortly after the Civil War ended and the group, like most groups in the South at the time, were attempting to oppress African Americans by any means necessary. A group such as this would need a leader who was not afraid to take charge and execute direction. It would appear the position of Grand Wizard for the Ku Klux Klan was a perfect fit for Forrest. Not only did Forrest have leadership and fighting experience but he was a former slave owner who had, very early on, made it his business to buy and sell slaves and had become very wealthy in the process. The Klan was still in its infancy when Forrest took position as the first Grand Wizard in 1867. However, this title would be short lived for Forrest as he decided to separate himself from the Klan in their early years after realizing the Klan was growing at a rapid rate and his authority would very soon no longer reign supreme. 5
The Ku Klux Klan would spend many years using different tactics to intimidate and oppress African Americans in the United States. It was not until Congress passed and began to carry out the Enforcement Acts that many of the activities carried out by the Klan finally began to decline. The Acts were put in place to help protect the rights of African Americans and hold all parties responsible who were caught attempting oppression. 6 Although Nathan Bedford Forrest only spent a short period of time with the Ku Klux Klan, it is possible that his popularity in the area allowed the organization to rise quickly and spread throughout the South.
- Jac Weller, “The Logistics of Nathan Bedford Forrest,” Military Affairs 17, no. 4 (1953): 162. ↵
- Weller, (1953): 162. ↵
- Richard Tillinghast, “Nathan Bedford Forrest: Born to Fight.” Sewanee Review 123, no. 4 (Fall 2015): 605 ↵
- Weller, (1953): 169. ↵
- Court Carney, “The Contested Image of Nathan Bedford Forrest.” The Journal of Southern History 67, no. 3 (2001): 603. ↵
- Alan Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume 2, 15 edition. (McGraw-Hill Education, 2014): 414. ↵
71 comments
Luis Magana
Ive always wondered how the KKK came to be something and its origin. Its very intriguing how during class lectures or when learning about the history of the Ku Klux Klan i have never came across the name of Nathan Bedford Forest. The original founder and person who started the KKK is unknown to many people and this article gives a little bit of insight on who he was as a person. I believe the KKK is a big group who doesnt have good views that many people disagree with.
Raymond Nash Munoz III
The author did a great job of telling the story of Nathan Forrest and the origins of the KKK. Prior to this article, my knowledge of the KKK is very limited, but it is probably best that I don’t know or remember a lot about KKK. In fact, I think that we all should know very little about the KKK because they were a group of people that did horrific things to others that they felt were beneath them. So, they are not the kind of people we should be immortalizing through history. Again, this was an amazing article, and I think it is important that we remember all the losses of the victims of the KKK, but Forrest and the rest of the KKK are better forgotten in history.
Esperanza Rojas
Nathan Bedford Forrest was not name I ever came across in any of my history classes and I would have never associated the name with the KKK. His backstory was sad and on some level you could sympathize with him for the fact that he had to become the “man of the house” but all that sympathy goes always as soon as you learn how he contributed to the slave trade and the Ku Klux Klan. The article doesn’t make it clear if he was the one that had the idea or was just part of the start of the KKK but to know that he left the terrorist group only because he knew he wouldn’t have anymore power of it is upsetting.
Roman Olivera
The Ku Klux Klan is synonymous with hate and the disrespect of all people not Caucasian. This man who thought he was creating something that would unite people to rise up above as group definitely had them taking a step back with any of the people they encountered, because of the hatred they had shown. The article states that Nathan Bedford Forest did not want to be involved with the things that they were doing, but it also has me thinking that he seen that the Klan had gotten out of control and he could not have as much power as he would have liked as the Grand Wizard. Good article very informative.
Robert Rodriguez
Before coming across the article I didn’t know who Nathan Bedford forest was. I wasn’t expecting this random man to be one of the generals in the civil war and later a Grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan during its early years.. this article was very easy to read and held a lot of great information regarding this man. I found it interesting that he left the KKK when it began to grow rapidly especially when he had such a high status.
Hector Garcia
I thought the article was both interesting and unique. This article seemed to have an interesting topic because not many know the history of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and how it was able to gain so much popularity among the people in the South. I actually didn’t know that Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general, was the reason for why the KKK gained popularity in the South.
Marlene Lozano
I love the introduction, it really catches the readers eyes. Although I have never heard of Nathan Bedford Forest I find it interesting in his interest in only being in charge of the Ku Klux Klan while it was still small. I love how this article gives insight into how the Klan first began to form as well as the history of Forest.
Natalia Flores
The only reason I heard of Nathan Bedford Forrest is because of Forest Gump and it was only a brief time in the very beginning of the movie. This article is very interesting since a lot of the Klan members identities were hidden and not much is said about prominent Klan figures for obvious reasons. However brief, it is still good to remember the ugly side of our history as well since it reminds us not to repeat our mistakes.
Timothy ODekirk
I never heard of the name, Nathan Bedford Forest, but now I am glad I did. I mean, it is so interesting to find out about the person who founded the horrible organization, the KKK. Knowing about Forest’s past and his involvement during the Civil War was extremely interesting as well. And I am not surprised that the original founder of the KKK was indeed a Confederate. It is just shocking to me how the original founder and leader of the KKK is an unknown icon in American history. Maybe after this article, this infamous confederate will have more of a name for himself.
Vanessa Tombo
An interesting article that brought light to a particular character who many would have never known about. This article was both educational, captivating and easy to read. I thought I was well read on the origins of the Ku Klux Klan, however, I never knew of Mr. Forest’s position and how he helped give structure to such a demeaning and treacherous organization.