What factor led to the formation of the Ku Klux Klan?

The Ku Klux Klan was formed in the aftermath of the American Civil War, primarily as a reaction to the Reconstruction era policies aimed at integrating formerly enslaved people into society. White Southerners, feeling threatened by these changes and the loss of their social and political dominance, created the Klan in 1865 as a secret society to promote white supremacy, oppose racial equality, and intimidate Black citizens and their allies. The Klan's violent tactics and terror were intended to restore white control and undermine the advances made by African Americans during Reconstruction.