The original Ku Klux Klan was created by six educated, middle-class Confederate veterans from Pulaski, Tennessee, after the end of the American Civil War on December 24, 1865. The name was constructed by combining the Greek "kyklos" (κυκλος,circle) with "clan
Some blacks at the time believed the Ku Klux Klan night riders were the ghosts of dead Confederates.
The Ku Klux Klan soon spread into nearly every southern state, launching a "reign of terror" against Republican leaders both black and white. Those assassinated during the campaign included Arkansas Congressman James M. Hinds, three members of the South Carolina legislature, and several men who had served in constitutional conventions."
In an 1867 meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, an effort was made to create a hierarchical organization with local chapters reporting to county leaders, counties reporting to districts, districts reporting to states, and states reporting to a national headquarters. The proposals, in a document called the "Prescript," were written by former Confederate brigadier general George Gordon. The Prescript included inspirational language about the goals of the Klan along with a list of questions to be asked of applicants for membership, which confirmed the focus on resisting Reconstruction and the Republican Party.