Extreme right-wing groups have always been a part of the American
religious and political landscape. The era between the world wars,
especially the 1930s, was a particularly volatile period, and by
1940, racist, nativist, and fascist groups had become so visible as
to arouse public fears of insurrection and sabotage. In
Hoods
and Shirts, Philip Jenkins uses developments in Pennsylvania as
a case study of the local activities and broader significance of
organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Italian Black Shirts,
the Silver Legion, the German-American Bund, and Father Coughlin's
Christian Front.
Pennsylvania's cities were a stronghold of several of the most
active extremist movements, and Jenkins argues that while the
threats they posed were often exaggerated to benefit the solidarity
of the political mainstream, a loose coalition of dozens of these
groups nevertheless constituted a formidable political presence in
the state. In chapters on each of the major organizations, Jenkins
traces their common commitment to a fascist agenda as well as the
ethnic and religious differences that divided them. His
comprehensive analysis sheds new light on how these right-wing
movements influenced the mainstream of American politics in the
interwar years.
Originally published in 1997.
A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the
latest in digital technology to make available again books from our
distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These
editions are published unaltered from the original, and are
presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both
historical and cultural value.