The KKK Owned Indiana

While Illinois brought Abraham Lincoln to the forefront of American politics, Indiana brought the KKK to the forefront of Indiana politics. Here's the 411 on the Indiana Klan and another reason why we hate Indiana:

"The Indiana Klan rose to prominence beginning in the early 1920s after World War I, when ethnic Protestants felt threatened by social and political issues, including changes caused by decades of heavy immigration from southern and eastern Europe. By 1922 the state had the largest organization nationally, and its membership continued to increase dramatically under the leadership of D.C. Stephenson. It averaged 2,000 new members per week from July 1922 to July 1923, when he was appointed as the Grand Dragon of Indiana. He led the Indiana Klan and other chapters he supervised to break away from the national organization in late 1923.

Indiana's Klan organization reached its peak of power in the following years, when it had 250,000 members, an estimated 30% of native-born white men. By 1925 over half the elected members of the Indiana General Assembly, the Governor of Indiana, and many other high-ranking officials in local and state government were members of the Klan. Politicians had also learned they needed Klan endorsement to win office."

The Governor! Averaging 2,000 new members per week! An estimated 30% of native-born white men! Do you blame us for hating Indiana?