White racist organization founder by former confederate soldiers in Tennessee in 1866, initially to prevent freed enslaved people voting and exercising other civil rights. Members wore white robes to hide their identity and used terror and intimidation against blacks. The title was based on the Greek word kyklos, meaning "circle." Klan activities soon expanded from harmless pranks to violent attempts to prevent black people from gaining any political rights, and out and out assaults on northern carpetbaggers.