One of the least discussed realities is that the American Revolution was never universally popular. Historians estimate that a substantial number of colonists remained loyal to the British Crown, while many others tried simply to avoid taking sides. The birth of the United States was neither unanimous nor inevitable. It emerged through fierce debate, division and enormous personal risk.

There is admiration here. It is unmistakable. People speak of American innovation, American resilience, the enduring promise that has drawn generations from around the globe toward its shores. There is respect for the scale of its influence and the reach of its institutions. There is even envy of opportunity, of resources, of a system that, despite its imperfections, has long offered the possibility of reinvention and upward mobility.

The Ku Klux Klan, created in 1865, was led by Nathan Bedford Forrest with the mission of terrorizing and terrifying Blacks from enjoying their unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.