The Ku Klux Klan is an organisation in both real life, and Gone With the Wind, that seeks to scare and attack people of colour to (re) establish white supremacy. Various main characters in Gone With the Wind are members of the Klan.
In the novel[]
Scarlett O'Hara is first told about the Klan when she is pregnant with Ella, by Pittypat Hamilton, who says "They ride around at night dressed up like ghosts and call on Carpetbaggers who steal money and negroes who are uppity. Sometimes they just scare them and warn them to leave Atlanta, but when they don’t behave they whip them and sometimes they kill them and leave them where they’ll be easily found with the Ku Klux card on them..."
Scarlett mentions several cases of the Klan acting in Atlanta: once lynching a black man who boasted of raping a white woman. Scarlett thinks the girl wasn't raped at all, probably just frightened and thinks the Klan very stupid for acting the way they do, angering the Yankees in charge and getting men killed. She doesn't mention the numerous cases of innocent black people killed by the Klan, some of them being her former slaves.
Tony Fontaine is hunted by the police after killing his former slave Eustis and Jonas Wilkerson. Apparently
During a party at Melanie Wilkes' house, Scarlett finally finds out most male members of her own group of friends and family are members of the Klan. India Wilkes boasts that all the good man she knows are part of the Klan, and even Melanie seems to approve to a lesser degree. This includes Scarlett's husband Frank who promised her to never join the Klan.
During an attack on Shantytown, the police finds the Klan members and shoots Frank Kennedy, Ashley Wilkes and Tommy Wellburn. Frank and Tommy die from their injuries, while Ashley lives.
Members of the Klan in Gone With the Wind[]
- Ashley Wilkes
- Frank Kennedy (killed during an attack on Shantytown)
- Tommy Wellburn (killed during an attack on Shantytown)
- Tony Fontaine (fled to Texas)
- Hugh Elsing
- Dr Meade
- Alex Fontaine (most likely)