Religion, the Klan, and Socialism in Oklahoma in the Early 20th Century

Oklahoma offers a unique opportunity to research three seemingly separate key movements: Christianity, the Ku Klux Klan, and Socialism. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between The Klan, Socialism, and Religion in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. The basis for this research is to show how something like the Bible can be used to justify things that would otherwise be seen as contradictory to the Christian message. Searching through archives for primary sources and researching secondary source writings on the subject at the Western History Collection and the Oklahoma Historical Society were the main two ways of gathering primary and secondary sources. The summative findings were that one’s theological beliefs often proved to be the pivotal reason why someone would either choose to be a Socialist or a member of the Klan. In most instances both the Klan and Socialists were targeting the same group of people and one's theological framework could be a reason that they pivoted one way or the other. The economic state of the state and country left farmers searching for political and religious movements that could be the answer for the struggles that they faced in everyday life. The popularity of Socialism and the Klan can also be attributed to various Christian movements in America during the time, primarily Christian fundamentalism. This research reveals that Christianity was often used as both a moral compass and a political tool for individuals to reconcile their own or others’ conflicting ideologies under a shared religious framework.