Hiram Wesley Evans
Encyclopedia
Hiram Wesley Evans was Imperial Wizard of the "second" Ku Klux Klan
from 1922 until 1939. Evans succeeded William Joseph Simmons
in the position of the Imperial Wizard in November 1922. Simmons was at the same time elected Emperor for life.
, to Hiram Martin Evans and Georgia Ann Striplin. He studied dentistry
at Vanderbilt University
but did not get a degree. Evans later worked as a dentist in Dallas
, Texas
, until 1920. In the same year, he joined the Klan.
The second Klan was established by failed minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
William J. Simmons
in 1915 on Stone Mountain
near Atlanta
, Georgia
. The first Ku Klux Klan (1865–1869) existed to oppose Reconstruction and maintain white control over former slaves in the regions of the former Confederate States of America
.
The second Klan was also anti-black
, but it had a much wider agenda than the first. A nativist
group, it was anti-Roman Catholic
, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant
, anti-labor union
, and anti-communist
. It was also supportive of the temperance movement
and alcohol prohibition
, which it pledged to enforce.
The era of Evans' leadership of the Klan saw internal struggle, rapid growth of membership, and eventually rapid decline. After 1922, Simmons' and Evans' factions struggled for power and the organization's money. This internal conflict was often making the news across the country. The newspapers also focused on the Klan-produced violence, thus hurting its image nationwide. Amidst the negative press, Evans decided to show strength of the Klan and organized the largest parade of Klansmen ever. Some 40,000 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue
in Washington, D.C.
, in August 1925. At its peak in the mid-1920s, the organization included about 15% of the nation's eligible population, approximately 4–5 million men. In September 1926, Evans tried to repeat the parade but many fewer marchers arrived compared to 1925. Evans was a Mason
who boasted of having helped re-elect
Calvin Coolidge
as President of the United States
, of having secured passage of strict anti-immigration laws and of having checked the ambitions of Roman Catholics and others intent on "perverting" the nation.
In 1942, he was put on trial for conspiracy, which ended in a mistrial.
of 1930s the membership shrunk further to an estimated 30,000. Evans was succeeded as the Imperial Wizard by James A. Colescott. He left him the Klan much weakened, compared to the situation when he began his leadership.
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
from 1922 until 1939. Evans succeeded William Joseph Simmons
William J. Simmons
William Joseph Simmons was the founder of the second Ku Klux Klan on Thanksgiving Night of 1915.-Early life:Simmons was born in Harpersville, Alabama, to Calvin Henry Simmons, a physician; and Lavonia David. He served in the Spanish-American War and later claimed to have studied medicine at Johns...
in the position of the Imperial Wizard in November 1922. Simmons was at the same time elected Emperor for life.
Biography
He was born on September 26, 1881, in Ashland, AlabamaAshland, Alabama
Ashland is a town in Clay County, Alabama, United States. The population was 1,965 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a city; according to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 1,885. The town is the county seat of Clay County.-History:...
, to Hiram Martin Evans and Georgia Ann Striplin. He studied dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
but did not get a degree. Evans later worked as a dentist in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, until 1920. In the same year, he joined the Klan.
The second Klan was established by failed minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
William J. Simmons
William J. Simmons
William Joseph Simmons was the founder of the second Ku Klux Klan on Thanksgiving Night of 1915.-Early life:Simmons was born in Harpersville, Alabama, to Calvin Henry Simmons, a physician; and Lavonia David. He served in the Spanish-American War and later claimed to have studied medicine at Johns...
in 1915 on Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock in Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet amsl and 825 feet above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain granite extends underground at its longest point into Gwinnett County...
near Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The first Ku Klux Klan (1865–1869) existed to oppose Reconstruction and maintain white control over former slaves in the regions of the former Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
The second Klan was also anti-black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, but it had a much wider agenda than the first. A nativist
Nativism (politics)
Nativism favors the interests of certain established inhabitants of an area or nation as compared to claims of newcomers or immigrants. It may also include the re-establishment or perpetuation of such individuals or their culture....
group, it was anti-Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
, anti-labor union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, and anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
. It was also supportive of the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and alcohol prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, which it pledged to enforce.
"Though men and women drop from the ranks they remain with us in purpose, and can be depended on fully in any crisis. Also, there are millions who have never joined, but who think and feel and -- when called on -- fight with us. This is our real strength, and no one who ignores it can hope to understand America today." – Hiram Wesley Evans
The era of Evans' leadership of the Klan saw internal struggle, rapid growth of membership, and eventually rapid decline. After 1922, Simmons' and Evans' factions struggled for power and the organization's money. This internal conflict was often making the news across the country. The newspapers also focused on the Klan-produced violence, thus hurting its image nationwide. Amidst the negative press, Evans decided to show strength of the Klan and organized the largest parade of Klansmen ever. Some 40,000 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in August 1925. At its peak in the mid-1920s, the organization included about 15% of the nation's eligible population, approximately 4–5 million men. In September 1926, Evans tried to repeat the parade but many fewer marchers arrived compared to 1925. Evans was a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
who boasted of having helped re-elect
United States presidential election, 1924
The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate.Coolidge was vice-president under Warren G. Harding and became president in 1923 when Harding died in office. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no...
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
as President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, of having secured passage of strict anti-immigration laws and of having checked the ambitions of Roman Catholics and others intent on "perverting" the nation.
In 1942, he was put on trial for conspiracy, which ended in a mistrial.
Legacy
More negative press, reports of Klan's violence and attention of politicians led to flight of many members. During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of 1930s the membership shrunk further to an estimated 30,000. Evans was succeeded as the Imperial Wizard by James A. Colescott. He left him the Klan much weakened, compared to the situation when he began his leadership.
Publications
- The Menace of Modern Immigration (1923)
- The Klan of Tomorrow (1924)
- Alienism in the Democracy (1927)
- The Rising Storm (1929)
- The Klan Fights for Americanism (1926).