Scandals | Educating with Evidence | SIU

Scandals Introduction

The second wave of the Ku Klux Klan experienced a swift and dramatic decline in southern Illinois as scandals, corruption, and criminal activities drove disillusioned members away. High-ranking Klan figures such as Edward Young Clarke, Elizabeth Tyler, and David Curtis Stephenson—who played key roles in recruitment, propaganda, and political influence—became embroiled in financial fraud, sex trafficking, and even murder cases that shattered the Klan’s reputation.

In southern Illinois, once a Klan stronghold—especially in Pulaski and Alexander counties—membership plummeted as the Great Depression worsened financial conditions, making it harder to sustain the organization. By 1940, the Klan had virtually disappeared from the region, as its association with violence, political corruption, and financial exploitation left it fractured and unpopular.

Your Task:

In this unit, you will analyze primary and secondary sources related to the decline of the Ku Klux Klan in southern Illinois, examining how financial corruption, criminal scandals, and external pressures led to its downfall.