Birth of a Nation

The Ku Klux Klan's revival in the 1920s is often associated with the film "Birth of a Nation." The founder of what became the national organization in 1915 is alleged to have done so after viewing the film. The second Klan exploded across the United States a few years after the film made the rounds of theaters across the country.  It could be argued that it gave new life to the "Lost Cause" historical revisionism of the original terrorist organization as heroes of white women's virtue. It could also be argued that such views had already been popularized across the country. An example from a popular northern textbook published in 1905 and in common use across the country at the time:

It took a while for one of the four traveling shows to make it here to Champaign-Urbana with its own traveling orchestra. But when it did it packed the local Orpheum theater every night and for an extra showing. Here is one of the larger advertisements in the Urbana Daily Courier:

The reception was cheers, the loudest for the Klan heroes of the film. Local papers reported the packed house and loud applause and appreciation of the historical accuracy. Government officials, mayors and aldermen were part of the crowds. Their loud and enthusiastic appreciation was noted in the Champaign Daily News: 

The Daily Illini also noted local politicians stating that they didn't see anything objectional about the film:

The Urbana Daily Courier, in noting the demand justifying an extra Saturday showing of the film, joined other newspapers in describing the film as both accurate and educational. Local school children were being given an opportunity to see, what is now considered, an extremely racist piece of revisionist propaganda.

The Champaign Daily News and the Urbana Daily Courier both printed a couple opinion items after the show's run critical of the accuracy of the film. The Champaign paper printed a criticism from a local pastor:

The Courier re-printed a critical National Tribune editorial (click to enlarge):

There may be no good way to measure the impact and significance the film had on the rise of the local Klan here in Champaign County. It may have merely reinforced views and historical revisionism that had already become popularly accepted in the North (as difficult as it may be to believe today). When the Klan appeared in large numbers in Illinois and appeared to be rising across the Midwest, the Courier printed an 8/18/1921 editorial reflecting these beliefs. They argued in the "highest motives" and "ample justification" of the original Klan and the decent men they believed were in it. They blamed most of the controversy on outrages done by "outsiders" in their name.

Their harshest critique seemed to be focused on optics and encouraging a name change to distance itself from bad actors who could use their secrecy to undermine their reputation.

For more information on the "Birth of a Nation" film and its role in inspiring and influencing the rise of the second Klan I recommend Linda Gordon's "The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition."