Who Put the Klan Into Ku Klux Klan

Coming from Scot/Scots-Irish ancestry, I found this documentary to be highly informative and educational. It also reveals the crass and harsh inhumanity among many white Americans who, like myself, have Scottish and Scots-Irish ancestors. Not an especially pleasant or pretty picture. I strongly recommend this documentary film to those interested in learning more about the KKK -- especially in this very troubled period in our history.

Who knew that the basic design of the Confederate Battle Flag was taken from the Scottish Flag? The influence of Scottish pseudo-culture based on Sir Walter Scott's books was so pervasive? Who knew that the Klan in Ku Klux Klan was a different spelling of the Scottish word clan? Who knew that the book the Clansman by a Scottish-American Southerner would inspire the film Birth of a Nation and incite racial hatred in the early twentieth century? An astounding documentary which shows that clan over country is is still the belief of many today. Of course Scots did not invent racism, but their influence on the American variety is unmistakable.

This is a very well produced and insightful documentary on the tie between people of Scottish Ancestry and their establishment of the abomination known as the KKK, in the American south. Excellent contributors with fascinating perspectives on the evolution of a hateful group of bigots. I feel the last interviewee was just as bigoted as David Duke with different racial target, but everyone is welcome to their opinion. Recommended with caveats... -Begin Rant- The archeologist/historian, Neil Oliver, seems to intentionally only focus on US people of Scottish ancestry while ignoring SCOTTISH history. He seemingly questions American locals about "how Scottish are you", then builds a show around Scottish heritage in the US by discussing terrible things about Scotsman who are 3-4 generations removed from Scotland. Pick a position buddy, are you "Scottish" if you were born in Scotland or if you are generations removed. It comes across as a Scotsman who wants to talk about people with Scottish ancestry's role in American bigotry/slavery, but wants to distance himself from the ugly truth about his own people's role. The kicker is when he walks around Plantation slave cabins and says "it's shocking to be somewhere that slavery occurred". Dude, you're a Scottish historian. You've never been to Glasgow? How about Liverpool, which was (debatably) the capital of the African slave trade until 1806. Yeah, a historically small amount of time after it became illegal in the US. It's likely that his countrymen (Scotsman) were still living large on slave trade profits when those cabins were built. The African slave trade is a dark and ugly reality of the western world's history, this review is not to suggest otherwise. I'm just annoyed that this historian is ignoring the broader legitimate historical picture. I'm certain Mr. Oliver knows far more than I do about the despicable African slave trade, but for one reason or another he left out details and chose to focus on only parts that told 10% of the story. The African slave trade is not an American phenomenon, it's a Western world phenomenon that was shamefully most pronounced in the US. This appears to be Neil Oliver agenda, not the historical context that he might have to apologize for (as a Scotsman). Who are you Neil? Pick a side... or at least tell the whole story. I think you should give up the nomenclature historian and go with "investigative reporter", you only tell the stories you want to, not the full story. -End rant-

Coming from Scot/Scots-Irish ancestry, I found this documentary to be highly informative and educational. It also reveals the crass and harsh inhumanity among many white Americans who, like myself, have Scottish and Scots-Irish ancestors. Not an especially pleasant or pretty picture. I strongly recommend this documentary film to those interested in learning more about the KKK -- especially in this very troubled period in our history.

Who knew that the basic design of the Confederate Battle Flag was taken from the Scottish Flag? The influence of Scottish pseudo-culture based on Sir Walter Scott's books was so pervasive? Who knew that the Klan in Ku Klux Klan was a different spelling of the Scottish word clan? Who knew that the book the Clansman by a Scottish-American Southerner would inspire the film Birth of a Nation and incite racial hatred in the early twentieth century? An astounding documentary which shows that clan over country is is still the belief of many today. Of course Scots did not invent racism, but their influence on the American variety is unmistakable.

This is a very well produced and insightful documentary on the tie between people of Scottish Ancestry and their establishment of the abomination known as the KKK, in the American south. Excellent contributors with fascinating perspectives on the evolution of a hateful group of bigots. I feel the last interviewee was just as bigoted as David Duke with different racial target, but everyone is welcome to their opinion. Recommended with caveats... -Begin Rant- The archeologist/historian, Neil Oliver, seems to intentionally only focus on US people of Scottish ancestry while ignoring SCOTTISH history. He seemingly questions American locals about "how Scottish are you", then builds a show around Scottish heritage in the US by discussing terrible things about Scotsman who are 3-4 generations removed from Scotland. Pick a position buddy, are you "Scottish" if you were born in Scotland or if you are generations removed. It comes across as a Scotsman who wants to talk about people with Scottish ancestry's role in American bigotry/slavery, but wants to distance himself from the ugly truth about his own people's role. The kicker is when he walks around Plantation slave cabins and says "it's shocking to be somewhere that slavery occurred". Dude, you're a Scottish historian. You've never been to Glasgow? How about Liverpool, which was (debatably) the capital of the African slave trade until 1806. Yeah, a historically small amount of time after it became illegal in the US. It's likely that his countrymen (Scotsman) were still living large on slave trade profits when those cabins were built. The African slave trade is a dark and ugly reality of the western world's history, this review is not to suggest otherwise. I'm just annoyed that this historian is ignoring the broader legitimate historical picture. I'm certain Mr. Oliver knows far more than I do about the despicable African slave trade, but for one reason or another he left out details and chose to focus on only parts that told 10% of the story. The African slave trade is not an American phenomenon, it's a Western world phenomenon that was shamefully most pronounced in the US. This appears to be Neil Oliver agenda, not the historical context that he might have to apologize for (as a Scotsman). Who are you Neil? Pick a side... or at least tell the whole story. I think you should give up the nomenclature historian and go with "investigative reporter", you only tell the stories you want to, not the full story. -End rant-