The Invisible Empire traces the history of the Ku Klux Klan from its birth in 1866 to the present, and examines its political impact on US life and policies. As well as being a terrorist force for white supremacy, the Klan has struck at Catholics, Jews, unions, and dissenters. In the 1920s it enrolled millions of members and ruled such states as Oklahoma, Oregon, and Indiana. Today the Klan is a heavily-armed and well-financed organization. This book follows the Klan's mysterious relationship to US institutions, and reveals how it has functioned as a second government altering the course of American history. - Back cover.