There was once a statement declared by a man who is against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Voltaire, a french writer explained, “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” This relates to all the other horrific murders and crimes committed in the 1930’s. Some examples that correspond to the KKK are, gangsters/criminals and racism. These dreadful things were the main cause of such gruesome killings in the 1930’s. Therefore, in the 1930s, there were killings rampaging through the streets of America.
To add on, the KKK was one of the most dangerous groups in the 1930’s. The KKK are a group of white people who killed and were against Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners, gays, lesbians and they wanted white supremacy`. Additionally, they began in the South and eventually had groups in every southern state. They often wore masks, dressed in long white robes, hoods and usually carried out their attacks at night (History.com Editors 1). In 1871, The KKK killed eight black prisoners (1). They especially did not like black people and thought they should be killed; in the South, there was white supremacy and a small population of black people so, the KKK wanted to get rid of those black people. These eight black prisoners were killed in South Carolina. South Carolina was probably the most dangerous place for a black person to live at that time. 500 of the KKK members attacked the Union county jail and that’s when the prisoners were killed. This is just one of the examples of the traumatizing murders and crimes committed in the 1930’s.
Additionally, the KKK was not just a phase in the 1930’s. Even now there are still KKK groups all around. They lasted for a long time, theatining and killing people. The Ku Klux Klan has terrorized minorities and Jews in this country for more than a century and had three periods of strength in America (Klanwatch Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center 1). This shows that the KKK has destroyed America for the past 89 years and still trying to get rid of people they dislike. They have had lots of strength in these years and is clearly gaining power. The KKK is not everywhere anymore, but there is slowly having more people join. This shows the horrifying killings that happened in the 1930’s.
Furthermore, “Ku Klux Klan membership exceeded 4 million people nationwide” (Klanwatch Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center 1). This shows that the KKK had become more popular which means there is more danger. If there are more people joining then everyone is most likely in great danger as well. The more people that keep joining, the more others will so they don’t get hurt or killed as well. They had also slowly become more violent and no one could stop them. The KKK had become more violent, so they were less likely to be able to get put in prison because of how threatening they are. Also, if some of the KKK members get put in prison, all of them would have to go to prison as well. The more murders they commit or the more violent they become, the harder it will be to live in America. The KKK has caused America and its people to be more isolated. This proves how the terrible murders and crimes have affected America in the 1930’s.
Along with the KKK, gangsters/criminals were a great danger to all communities in the 1930’s. Some examples of the most famous and dangerous criminals in the 1930’s are Alvin “Old Creepy” Karpis, “Machine Gun” Kelly, and “Pretty Boy” Floyd. Alvin “Old Creepy” Karpis got his name from his creepy smile and was the longest time a federal prisoner spent in Alcatraz. According to ‘American History: The Great Depression: Gangsters and G-Men,’ “Member of the Barker gang and served 26 years in Alcatraz.” (Lloyd Sealy Library 1). He served this much time because of 10 murders, 6 kidnappings, and a robbery and 32 years in Federal prisons in the United States. This shows that he had a lot of anger towards others and did not care about the consequences. He would commit any crime and was mostly likely the worst criminal of the 1930’s. This defends that gangsters/criminals and their killings were a big impact in the 1930’s.
Furthermore, “Machine Gun” Kelly was another gangster/criminal of the 1930’s. ‘Hidden Secrets: Gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s’ stated, “He was known to be a harmless gangster until he married Kathryn Thorne and his wife encouraged him to rob banks and commit crimes and later on” (Top Documentary Films 1). He Kathryn convinced him to kidnap a millionaire. He was also finally caught and sentenced to life in prison in 1933 and died in prison. This proves that he was not even a bad person until he got married. His wife got him into doing all of the crimes he did and it ended up getting him killed in prison. His wife did not commit the crimes, she made him do it. This shows that gangsters/criminals in the 1930's can still be unpredictably dangerous and can kill anyone even if they are forced to.
Lastly, “Pretty Boy” Floyd is another gangster/criminal of the 1930’s. He was an american bank robber during the Great Depression and was just 21 when he robbed a bank for the first time. He decided to rob in the first place because he lived in the lower class and had to provide for his family. ̈ ̈When he robbed banks, he would destroy mortgage documents, freeing many people from their debts ̈ (American History: The Great Depression: Gangsters and G-Men). Even though he did commit these crimes, it was for the people who needed it most and for a good reason. The public also generally had a positive view of him. Unfortunately, he was killed in a shootout with the FBI in 1934. This shows that the terrible crimes and killings committed in the 1930’s, could still be for a good cause.
On the final topic, racism was a horrific act that widespread throughout America in the 1930’s. In America the racism had to do with black and white people. Terrible things would be done to a black person just because a white person disliked them. The worst part is that they would not go to prison for it because it was so common and normal. “During The Great Depression, unemployment rates were considerably higher for blacks than for whites” (James Yates 1). This shows that not just some people mistreated blacks and not just mistreated physically. Some would even get killed and the white people would not get sent to prison. During The Great Depression, no one wanted black people to work for them. White people would work to earn the money and sometimes would not even want to serve the black people. This shows the severe crimes and killings that happened in the 1930s.
Next, “In 1933 while the general unemployment rate was 25 percent, for blacks it was 50 percent” (James Yates 1). This shows that racism can affect people greatly. Just the unemployment of the black people can damage their lives and not just for them, but for their whole family. Black people would get hurt by other just for defending their family, and even killed. When they are unemployed, the don’t have money, when they don’t have money, they can’t buy clothes, food, medicine, etc. On the other hand, white privilege was very popular during the 1930’s. White people had many more things and were allowed to do many more things then the black people. The unemployment for the black people was half of an amount less than the white people. This shows how damaging the racist crimes and killings affected people in the 1930’s.
Finally, “The reasons for greater black suffering during the Great Depression are linked to racial discrimination” (James Yates 1). This explains how even racial discrimination can lead to extreme outcomes. Black people had to deal with all of these terrible things because of others. They never hurt anyone so when white would hurt them it wasn’t for any good reason. If by any change, black people who hurt the white, it was for defense. If there was racial discrimination said by the white to the black it was normal, but if it was said by the black to the white it was illegal. They would get sent to jail and sometimes lead to worse. This shows how much black people suffered, got treated or got killed in the 1930’s.
In conclusion, in the 1930’s there were riots of killers and crimes all throughout the country. All of this was caused by the KKK, gangsters/criminals, and racism. The KKK would kill any person other than white, gangsters/criminals would commit any crime possible, and racism affected the black people extremely. The black people would get mistreated physically and emotionally. People were terrified to go out with family, not knowing if they were going to come back and kids not being able to walk by themselves or play outside safely. The misery that was caused by all of this during the 1930’s was so severe that you may ask yourself, ¨Does this still happen?¨
To add on, the KKK was one of the most dangerous groups in the 1930’s. The KKK are a group of white people who killed and were against Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners, gays, lesbians and they wanted white supremacy`. Additionally, they began in the South and eventually had groups in every southern state. They often wore masks, dressed in long white robes, hoods and usually carried out their attacks at night (History.com Editors 1). In 1871, The KKK killed eight black prisoners (1). They especially did not like black people and thought they should be killed; in the South, there was white supremacy and a small population of black people so, the KKK wanted to get rid of those black people. These eight black prisoners were killed in South Carolina. South Carolina was probably the most dangerous place for a black person to live at that time. 500 of the KKK members attacked the Union county jail and that’s when the prisoners were killed. This is just one of the examples of the traumatizing murders and crimes committed in the 1930’s.
Additionally, the KKK was not just a phase in the 1930’s. Even now there are still KKK groups all around. They lasted for a long time, theatining and killing people. The Ku Klux Klan has terrorized minorities and Jews in this country for more than a century and had three periods of strength in America (Klanwatch Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center 1). This shows that the KKK has destroyed America for the past 89 years and still trying to get rid of people they dislike. They have had lots of strength in these years and is clearly gaining power. The KKK is not everywhere anymore, but there is slowly having more people join. This shows the horrifying killings that happened in the 1930’s.
Furthermore, “Ku Klux Klan membership exceeded 4 million people nationwide” (Klanwatch Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center 1). This shows that the KKK had become more popular which means there is more danger. If there are more people joining then everyone is most likely in great danger as well. The more people that keep joining, the more others will so they don’t get hurt or killed as well. They had also slowly become more violent and no one could stop them. The KKK had become more violent, so they were less likely to be able to get put in prison because of how threatening they are. Also, if some of the KKK members get put in prison, all of them would have to go to prison as well. The more murders they commit or the more violent they become, the harder it will be to live in America. The KKK has caused America and its people to be more isolated. This proves how the terrible murders and crimes have affected America in the 1930’s.
Along with the KKK, gangsters/criminals were a great danger to all communities in the 1930’s. Some examples of the most famous and dangerous criminals in the 1930’s are Alvin “Old Creepy” Karpis, “Machine Gun” Kelly, and “Pretty Boy” Floyd. Alvin “Old Creepy” Karpis got his name from his creepy smile and was the longest time a federal prisoner spent in Alcatraz. According to ‘American History: The Great Depression: Gangsters and G-Men,’ “Member of the Barker gang and served 26 years in Alcatraz.” (Lloyd Sealy Library 1). He served this much time because of 10 murders, 6 kidnappings, and a robbery and 32 years in Federal prisons in the United States. This shows that he had a lot of anger towards others and did not care about the consequences. He would commit any crime and was mostly likely the worst criminal of the 1930’s. This defends that gangsters/criminals and their killings were a big impact in the 1930’s.
Furthermore, “Machine Gun” Kelly was another gangster/criminal of the 1930’s. ‘Hidden Secrets: Gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s’ stated, “He was known to be a harmless gangster until he married Kathryn Thorne and his wife encouraged him to rob banks and commit crimes and later on” (Top Documentary Films 1). He Kathryn convinced him to kidnap a millionaire. He was also finally caught and sentenced to life in prison in 1933 and died in prison. This proves that he was not even a bad person until he got married. His wife got him into doing all of the crimes he did and it ended up getting him killed in prison. His wife did not commit the crimes, she made him do it. This shows that gangsters/criminals in the 1930's can still be unpredictably dangerous and can kill anyone even if they are forced to.
Lastly, “Pretty Boy” Floyd is another gangster/criminal of the 1930’s. He was an american bank robber during the Great Depression and was just 21 when he robbed a bank for the first time. He decided to rob in the first place because he lived in the lower class and had to provide for his family. ̈ ̈When he robbed banks, he would destroy mortgage documents, freeing many people from their debts ̈ (American History: The Great Depression: Gangsters and G-Men). Even though he did commit these crimes, it was for the people who needed it most and for a good reason. The public also generally had a positive view of him. Unfortunately, he was killed in a shootout with the FBI in 1934. This shows that the terrible crimes and killings committed in the 1930’s, could still be for a good cause.
On the final topic, racism was a horrific act that widespread throughout America in the 1930’s. In America the racism had to do with black and white people. Terrible things would be done to a black person just because a white person disliked them. The worst part is that they would not go to prison for it because it was so common and normal. “During The Great Depression, unemployment rates were considerably higher for blacks than for whites” (James Yates 1). This shows that not just some people mistreated blacks and not just mistreated physically. Some would even get killed and the white people would not get sent to prison. During The Great Depression, no one wanted black people to work for them. White people would work to earn the money and sometimes would not even want to serve the black people. This shows the severe crimes and killings that happened in the 1930s.
Next, “In 1933 while the general unemployment rate was 25 percent, for blacks it was 50 percent” (James Yates 1). This shows that racism can affect people greatly. Just the unemployment of the black people can damage their lives and not just for them, but for their whole family. Black people would get hurt by other just for defending their family, and even killed. When they are unemployed, the don’t have money, when they don’t have money, they can’t buy clothes, food, medicine, etc. On the other hand, white privilege was very popular during the 1930’s. White people had many more things and were allowed to do many more things then the black people. The unemployment for the black people was half of an amount less than the white people. This shows how damaging the racist crimes and killings affected people in the 1930’s.
Finally, “The reasons for greater black suffering during the Great Depression are linked to racial discrimination” (James Yates 1). This explains how even racial discrimination can lead to extreme outcomes. Black people had to deal with all of these terrible things because of others. They never hurt anyone so when white would hurt them it wasn’t for any good reason. If by any change, black people who hurt the white, it was for defense. If there was racial discrimination said by the white to the black it was normal, but if it was said by the black to the white it was illegal. They would get sent to jail and sometimes lead to worse. This shows how much black people suffered, got treated or got killed in the 1930’s.
In conclusion, in the 1930’s there were riots of killers and crimes all throughout the country. All of this was caused by the KKK, gangsters/criminals, and racism. The KKK would kill any person other than white, gangsters/criminals would commit any crime possible, and racism affected the black people extremely. The black people would get mistreated physically and emotionally. People were terrified to go out with family, not knowing if they were going to come back and kids not being able to walk by themselves or play outside safely. The misery that was caused by all of this during the 1930’s was so severe that you may ask yourself, ¨Does this still happen?¨