<I>The Invisible Empire</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1879; published 1880
name: label: Written by
content: Albion W. Tourgée, American, 1838 - 1905
label: Subject of
content: Ku Klux Klan, 1st, American, 1865 - 1872
notes: label: Caption
content: Albion W. Tourgée, a white attorney and U.S. Army veteran from Ohio, moved to North Carolina in 1865. He entered politics as a supporter of African American civil rights and was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan. After he returned North in 1879, he published this account of the Klan’s terrorist activities.
label: Description
content: A hardcover 1880 illustrated edition of The Invisible Empire, by Albion W. Tourge´e, including both Part I: A Fool's Errand and Part II: A Concise Review of Recent Events. The book has a brown cover with black text and designs. The spine reads [THE INVISIBLE EMPIRE] in gold and [TOURGEE] in black. At the top is an illustration of a palm tree and at center is another botanical design, both in black. The publisher's logo is at the bottom [HFH] over an ampersand at the center. The front cover has [THE INVISBLE EMPIRE / TOURGEE] in black, with the "T" of "the" appearing as a palm tree. The cover design also features palm fronds at top left and top right, extending from a half circle with geometric motifs. The volume begins with a message from the publishers, Fords, Howard, and Hulbert, and four pages of extracts from press notices for "A Fool's Errand. By One of the Fools."
label: Description
content: Opposite the title page is an illustration titled [THE RIDE FOR LIFE.] depicting a female figure on horseback firing a pistol at a hooded figure on hooded horse. The title page reds [THE INVISBLE EMPIRE: Part I. / A NEW ILLUSTRATED, AND ENLARGED / EDITION OF / A FOOL'S ERRAND, / BY ONE OF THE FOOLS; / THE FAMOUS HISTORICAL ROMANCE OF / LIFE IN THE SOUTH SINCE THE WAR. / PART II. / A CONCISE REVIEW OF RECENT EVENTS, / SHOWING / The Element on which Tale is based, with many Thrilling / Personal Narratives and other Startling Facts and Con- / siderations, including an Account of the Rise, Extent, / Purpose, Methods, and Deeds of the Mysterious Ku-Klux Klan; / ALL FULLY AUTHENTICATED. / BY / ALBION W. TOURGEE, / LATE JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA, AUTHOR OF "THE / CODE WITH NOTES," "DIGEST OF CITED CASES," "TOINTETTE," / "FIGS AND THISTLES," ETC. / TWO PARTS COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME. / Illustrated Edition. / SOLD ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION. / NEW YORK: FORDS, HOWARD, & HULBERT. / W.H. THOMPSON & CO., BOSTON; WESTON HULBERT, CHICAGO; / SCAMMELL & CO., ST. LOUIS; A.L. BANCROFT & CO., San Francisco.].
label: Description
content: The volume continues with a Table of Contents and a list of the sixteen (16) illustrations that appear throughout the book, before beginning with the text of Part I. There is no printing on the back cover.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting symbols of hate or related to organized hate groups may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate history and culture.
place: label: Place depicted
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Politics
label: Topic
content: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: Violence
label: Topic
content: White supremacy movements
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Stanley Turkel's Collection of Reconstruction Era Materials
label: Classification
content: Library Collections
label: Classification
content: Books and Published Materials
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Stanley Turkel's Collection of Reconstruction Era Materials
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.160.177
objectType: label: Type
content: hardcover books
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper (fiber product)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (closed): 7 13/16 × 5 7/8 × 1 5/8 in. (19.8 × 15 × 4.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (open): 7 13/16 × 9 7/8 × 1 5/8 in. (19.8 × 25.1 × 4.1 cm)