They Called Themselves the K.K.K. : The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. (2010). They called themselves the K.K.K. : the birth of an American terrorist group. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780618440337

PLOT SUMMARY

In this biography, Susan Campbell Bartoletti writes the true story of what happened in Pulaski,

Tennessee in 1866. Bartoletti collected the testimonies from various people that lived through this

dark time and developed this book. This “club”, later known as the Ku Klux Khan, made of

Confederate men would secretly meet and would terrorize physically and psychologically any black

slaves that would attempt to exercise their newly given rights as citizens.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Susan Campbell Bartoletti writes the raw true story of what happened in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866.

This raw story is a collection of testimonies from various people that lived through this dark time.

This “club”, later known as the Ku Klux Khan, was made of Confederate men who would secretly

meet and terrorize physically and psychologically any black slaves that would attempt to exercise

their newly given rights as citizens.

Bartoletti wonderfully captured all these emotions from different perspectives. The factual

illustrations are all throughout this book supporting the content with a bibliography and source notes

included.

This book truly captures a period of American history and would recommend this book for 15 years

old and above. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Balancing the stories of the Klan and the former slaves' determination to remake their lives,

Bartoletti makes extensive use of congressional testimony, interviews, journals, diaries and slave

narratives to allow the players to speak in their own voices as much as possible...An exemplar of

history writing and a must for libraries and classrooms.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Bartoletti follows multi-award-winning titles such as Hitler Youth (2005) with another standout

contribution to youth history shelves...It's the numerous first-person quotes, though, that give the

book its beating heart, and her searing, expertly selected stories of people on all sides of the violent

conflicts will give readers a larger understanding of the conditions that incubated the Klan's terrorism;

how profoundly the freed people and their sympathizers suffered; and how the legacy of that fear,

racism, and brutality runs through our own time.”

– Booklist, starred review

“Copious photos, engravings, and illustrations provide a hard-hitting graphic component to this

illuminating book. And while Bartoletti notes that contemporary 'hate groups wield none of the power

or prestige that the Ku Klux Klan held in earlier years,' her account of attending a Klan meeting while

researching the book is chilling to the core.”

– Publishers Weekly, starred review

“As in Hitler Youth, Bartoletti tackles a tough, grim subject with firmness and sensitivity...Period

illustrations throughout make seeing believing, and the appended civil rights timeline, bibliography,

and source notes are an education in themselves. Exemplary in scholarship, interpretation, and

presentation.”

– The Horn Book, starred review

CONNECTIONS

“Every school and public library should have a copy of this profoundly important book and parents

should consider adding it to their child's home library. The history contained in this book is an

important part of any Civil War/Reconstruction curriculum.”

Based on a review by Dienne.

This book truly captures a period of American history and would recommend this book for 13 years

old and above. 

AWARDS

• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults finalist