What were the white league and the knights of the white cameillia?

The White League and the Knights of the White Camellia were white supremacist organizations that emerged in the southern United States during the Reconstruction era. Both groups aimed to maintain white dominance and resist the political and social advancements of African Americans following the Civil War. The White League, formed in 1874, engaged in violent actions against black citizens and Republican officials, while the Knights of the White Camellia, founded in 1858, operated similarly but with a more secretive, fraternal structure. Both groups were part of a broader backlash against Reconstruction efforts and contributed to the rise of Jim Crow laws.