Catching Hell from All Quarters : Anti-Klan Activists in Interwar Missouri

In Catching Hell from All Quarters Sean Rost works to invert the traditional history of what has been termed the second Ku Klux Klan (1915-1930) by examining the efforts of anti-Klan activists, in particular in Missouri, who challenged the growth, recruitment, and political ambitions of the Invisible Empire during the 1920s and 1930s through editorial crusades, educational campaigns, public pressure on elected officials, political investigations, and in some cases counter-vigilantism. Although anit-Klan activism was nation-wide, Missouri provides an excellent case study for the rise and fall of the second Klan as the organization gained a large membership and obtained a notable level of political power in some parts of the Show-Me State.Significantly, despite membership totals comparable to that of neighboring states, the Missouri Klan did not translate its recruiting success into substantial influence and political power due to significant local opposition from anti-Klan activists. Ca