Freemasonry and the Second Ku Klux Klan in California, 1921-1925

Abstract

There is a profound misunderstanding regarding the relationship between freemasonry and the second Ku Klux Klan that rose to prominence in 1915 and carried on until the late 1920s. Within the long, dark shadow of American ethnic and cultural conflicts, fraternal and patriotic organizations, with their own idealized mythological identities combined with the entrenched and accepted nativist sentiment of that era, became embroiled in an American struggle for identity. America is a nation of joiners and has been proud of this distinction, for a large part of its social infrastructure has been built through the efforts of communal organizations and associations. Furthermore, these volunteer associations have been influenced by freemasonry through a natural cross-pollination of members, which, in turn, has influenced the American character of that auspicious fraternity. This is especially true during the golden age of American fraternalism into the early twentieth century. Consequently, confusion has arisen over the determination of what point certain fraternities’ true purposes begin, end, and overlap. Analyzing primary documents and correspondence found in the archives of the Grand Lodge of F & AM of California, this paper will give a first person overview of the problems that arose when the Ku Klux Klan attempted to gain prominence in California freemasonry in the 1920s. Pandering to the societal fears of white Protestants while mimicking the benevolent fraternal societies, the Klan gained sympathy amongst enough California freemasons to cause their Grand Lodge to take controversial action by forbidding its members from being associated with it. The paper will address the ideologies of the Klan and American freemasonry, and how its dual members attempted to reconcile and justify their need for both organizations to compliment one another. Because of their incongruous core philosophies and purpose, the research demonstrates the success California masons had in ousting the Klan from freemasonry in California. This success came from the Klan’s own insistence that it was a ‘fraternal society’ while it did little to eschew its subversive activities, or its hateful and notorious past. Therefore, the Klan’s subterfuge stood in contrast to every mason’s promise to submit to the rule of the law of his country.