Thank you for the further explanation. It is a difficult thing to explain. Especially so to the current crop of public history rewriters and monument destroyers. Yes, Al Smith stands out as an anomaly (as this 2nd klan was also anti-catholic as you point out). D’nesh differentiates, from what I’ve observed the Southern vs. Northern democrat (which was in 1920s also Western democrats) by covering Martin Van Buren, and calling the N. democrats the democrat “Machine” which gathered up the Irish (catholics) and the “immigrant” newcomers into a “machine” basket— taking money from them, handing out patronage jobs (govt. and private-political linked ones, like railroad labor) for the new ‘members’. Then taking the majority of this dough for their coffers and leaving little to the masses they then “controlled” and could pledge for votes in the convention, Congress etc. The regionality differences in the handling of the “machine” in any case, involved an indifference to catholics (except wealthy ones- north or south). Of interest would be to know the activist jewish (practicing Jews or just cultural jewish?) in this regard. Because the timing of this 2nd klan rise also coincided with the post WWI anarchists in Europe and the US (Sacco & Vanzetti for ex, coal strikes, laborites, IWW, etc.). Generationally, particularly in the South- Reconstruction was still in memory, as was the Spanish American War, and not to forget the Depression, and the ignoring of our WWI Veterans that culminated in the Bonus Marcher’s being attacked on the DC Mall by US troops. Shameful.
Thank you, again. Deo Vindice.
“D’nesh differentiates, from what I’ve observed the Southern vs. Northern democrat “
The Democrats didn’t split into a Northern and Southern party until the election of 1860. What drove that was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 that threw gasoline on the slavery debate that the Missouri Compromise had calmed.
“by covering Martin Van Buren, and calling the N. democrats the democrat “Machine” which gathered up the Irish (catholics) and the “immigrant” newcomers into a “machine” ” “
That doesn’t fit the time line. Van Buren was Andrew Jackson’s VP and was President from 1837-1841. The Tammany Hall machine had been around since the 1790s but it wasn’t all that big until after the Irish Potato Famine circa 1845. By that time Van Buren was an anti-slavery leader in the Free Soil Party. Most of that machine stuff occurred after the Civil War during the Gilded Age when the lone Democrat President was Grover Cleveland, a Bourbon Democrat to the right of most modern conservatives.
“Of interest would be to know the activist jewish (practicing Jews or just cultural jewish?) “
American Jews prior to the big Eastern European immigration of the early 1900s tended to be culturally very much like other Americans here. Radicals, anarchists, and leftists arrived post 1900 for the most part. Plus there were plenty of home grown WASP radicals that came from old colonial families.
“the timing of this 2nd klan rise also coincided with the post WWI anarchists in Europe and the US (Sacco & Vanzetti for ex, coal strikes, laborites, IWW, etc.). “
The 2nd Klan was a populist reaction to the big social and demographic changes affecting America at that time. If the movie hadn’t been made there still would have been a similar political movement, just without borrowing its name and costumes from a movie.
” Generationally, particularly in the South- Reconstruction was still in memory, as was the Spanish American War, and not to forget the Depression, and the ignoring of our WWI Veterans that culminated in the Bonus Marcher’s being attacked on the DC Mall by US troops. Shameful.”
The Depression came later, 1930 to WWII. The Bonus March, too, 1932. The 2nd Klan had already run its course. There were still Civil War vets alive in the Teens and 20s, and plenty of Southerners who experienced Reconstruction- my bet is that hardly anyone today could tell you what it is or its connection to the Posse Comitatus Act. MacArthur led the troops who attacked the Bonus March camp.