The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was established in Colorado in 1922 and began under John Galen Locke (Davis, History Colorado, 2023). Locke led the spread of propaganda and for recruitment. The Klan became known for coercing individuals, groups, and institutions. There were multiple attempts to infiltrate into the government with the ultimate goal of complete control. The Klan obtained control of the Republican Party, and selected almost all its candidates during the elections of 1924 (Davis, 2023). Their goal was to have possession of the executive and legislative branches of the Colorado government. The Klan planned to use official acts in furthering its causes on the widest scale possible.

By 1925, there was a majority of members elected from the Klan-controlled Republican party. In fact, governor Moreley could not “make a move” without consulting Locke (Davis 2023). Many believe that Locke, leader of the KKK was more of a governor than Moreley. Moreley provided more jobs for Coloradans, eliminated abuse of the prohibition law, and saved taxpayers money. However, Morley’s actions were heavily influenced by the KKK. The Klan wanted to keep non-Americans out of Colorado. There was also an attack on the Catholic church. There was termination of various state agencies which eliminated jobs held by employees not sympathetic to the Klan (Davis, 2023).

The history of the KKK in Colorado reveals that the Klan in Colorado was built off of a systematic issue. The Klan was directly involved with government agencies and actions. It is easy to assume the KKK was an extremist group which only affects small groups of people. However, it is important to learn about the systematic effects in order to understand the scope of the KKK and their impact. KKK sympathizers were in charge of serious legislative decisions in Colorado.

There is a whole underbelly of the KKK presence in Northern Colorado that must be taught when looking at the local history of the region and the Klan, that being in the Minority reaction/action; specifically in the historical establishment, life, and creation of the Lincoln Hills resort.

Due to the historical rhetoric in the Klan, established in elements such as the general reaction to the Klan, as well as presence of the Klan, there is a unique and distinct historical framework and lens in the ways Minority communities responded to the Klan at the time. To teach and view the minority reaction to the Klan we can study two different elements, the actions of hate crimes by the Klan and the establishment of the Lincoln hills. Resort. The Lincoln Hills Resort was created by Regnier and Roger E. Ewalt near Pinecliffe, Colorado as vestige in the mountains for the Black community to escape the racism and actions of the Klan in Denver and Northern Colorado (Kaylor 2021). It was a safe space for Black Americans to have an escape from racist attitudes and the Klan, and served as their “Own Private Kingdom”(Kaylor 2021). The Lodge forged its own history and events, and really served as a reaction to Denver’s racial attitudes, proving its importance to be taught at a more indepth level when looking beyond the public sphere and historical canon of the Klan (Kaylor 2021). Looking at newspaper clippings can also shed light on the real life repercussions of the Klan and racism, and can provide a light into the experience of racially marginalized individuals.

While newspaper clippings may frame the minority as the victim, teaching only about the crimes perpetrated against racially marginalized individuals serves to tokenize them as victims of violence and not humans or real people. To this combat this critique, there is a way to teach this content when carefully considering the framing. The newspaper clippings from the City of Fort Collins which details possibly Klan perpetrated events, and definitive racial violence and hate crimes, there is an event which details the Firebombing and arson of a Chinese Laundry in Fort Collins (City of Fort Collins 2023).

To effectively teach this event that highlights the minority experience, without running the risk of looking over the humanity of the victim beyond their victimhood, this source could be taught to students in a certain fashion; this being to look at the source beyond this farming and asking broadening and deeper questions that pry critical thought and realizations about Minority life from the students. To be brief, this could include, include asking students to look at the language and use of passive voice of the article, asking about the repercussions of such an event, asking students what they thought police did in response, asking students how this racial attitude may have affected minorities, and may other questions and activities that pertain to the source with the idea of letting students piece together the broader and critical implications that racism and Klan related events had on minority life.

The Klan was involved in Colorado in a variety of ways, including threats, governmental control and even being present in plain sight. Many of the Klan meeting spots are thinly veiled, making no intent to hide their presence. This is due to a variety of reasons, but it is primarily a representation of how people felt about the Klan at the time. At the time, because the KKK was so visible it enabled them to threaten minorities even when they were not physically there.

Because the KKK was so involved and visible it is evident that the threat of the Klan seemed to be constantly visible. What cannot be ignored in this is the impact it had on minorities. As those that the KKK threatened, it was incredibly harmful to have the KKK this visible in their lives. But this is not what should be focused on in this story. Minorities at the time opposed and came together in the face of the Klan coming together to unite and protect themselves against the threat of the Klan. Because the Klan was so present it was hard to escape the grasps of the Klan, making minority opposition all the more impressive and important. As evidenced by newspapers, the Klan wasn’t welcomed in many places. Many places opposed and refused to allow the KKK to enter their community. Colorado State University does this several times, denying KKK members admission to the university and refusing to let the KKK onto campus under the guise of Greek Letters. This is important for a variety of reasons, one of which being evidence of how the KKK tried to enter life to allow their threat to grow. The KKK when refused entry and allowance for spreading is incredibly important. Although the KKK still played a shamefully large role in Colorado, it cannot be denied how they were barred from spreading, and most importantly were opposed to those who they tried to persecute. The bravery and perseverance should be a vital part of this lesson and cannot be ignored when talking about the KKK and their role in Colorado.