The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) Theory

There are many conspiracy theories surrounding President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, with the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) playing a pivotal role in several of them. This essay will introduce and explain the Knights of the Golden Circle hypothesis. Its plausibility will also be examined, along with the beliefs and concerns it relates to in real life and its ideological purpose. According to the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) idea, the covert group was crucial to the death of President Abraham Lincoln (Monsour np). During the Civil War, a covert group known as the KGC comprised former Confederates and Southern sympathizers. In addition to preserving slavery, they wanted to advance Southern interests (Harris 5). The idea was that by assassinating President Lincoln, the KGC hoped to weaken the Union administration and regain Confederate control. Instead of being the result of a random act by a single person, supporters contend that the murder was part of a broader plot that the KGC orchestrated.

The assassination was thought to have been planned and carried out by high-ranking KGC members such as George W. L. Bickley and Jacob Thompson (Getler np). They may have wanted to restore Confederate authority after the Union’s victory had eroded it. Proponents of the theory cite purported proof, such as ties between Booth and KGC-affiliated Confederate sympathizers. Particular attention is paid to Booth’s affinity for the South and his time spent in the Confederate states during the war. Proponents often point to what they see as evidence of KGC involvement in the form of coded communications and papers.

Historians and scholars, however, have cast doubt on the veracity of the purported ties between Booth, Confederate supporters, and the KGC. Conspirator testimonies, such as those of Lewis Powell and Samuel Arnold, are used to buttress this theory, despite their questionable veracity (Lause np). No definitive evidence of KGC involvement in the conspiracy was found during official investigations, such as the conspirators’ trial. The theory’s validity is diminished, and its veracity is questioned due to the dearth of supporting evidence.

Those with deep political or religious ties to the Confederacy are drawn to the Knights of the Golden Circle hypothesis, although the truth of their claims is up to debate. Conventional historical wisdom places sole responsibility on Booth. It is crucial to be suspicious of competing theories and instead rely on data and consensus among experts.

Group of People Strongly Attracted to the Knights of the Golden Circle Theory

Multiple Confederate and white supremacist-affiliated groups and individuals have been drawn to the Knights of the Golden Circle hypothesis. Neo-Confederates, white racists, and members of the far right are only some communities and individuals drawn to this ideology. The League of the South and other neo-Confederate organizations have publicly endorsed the Knights of the Golden Circle hypothesis. The white nationalist group supported Southern secession and created an ethnostate for white people in the South (Bianco 28). As part of a larger plot to destabilize the Union government, the group spread the myth that the KGC was behind Lincoln’s assassination.

White supremacist organizations like the Council of Conservative Citizens have adopted the KGC idea. The Council of Conservative Citizens is a white nationalist group that has been likened to the White Citizens’ Councils in the 1950s and 1960s, which formed to oppose desegregation (Donley np). The KGC has been portrayed as a valiant group that fought to protect Southern interests from Northern assault by this group.

Conspiracy theorists, amateur historians, and authors are just some of the types of people who have been drawn to the KGC theory. A prominent figure who has written extensively on the KGC hypothesis is right-wing novelist and conspiracy theorist Texe Marrs (Dice np). Marrs has asserted that the KGC was a very effective secret club that dominated American politics and the economy. Although the Knights of the Golden Circle hypothesis has attracted a wide variety of people and organizations, it should be kept in mind that it is still on the periphery of scholarly and historical consensus. The overwhelming majority of scholars and specialists consider this hypothesis to be unfounded and inaccurate.

Logic and Plausibility of the Knights of the Golden Circle Theory

The motivations, techniques, and goals of the purported conspiracy all offer problems for the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) idea in terms of plausibility and logic. The first step in understanding the Lincoln assassination is to examine the reasons behind it. According to this thesis, prominent KGC members wanted to restore Confederate control in order to exact vengeance on the Union for winning the Civil War (Forsyth np). The Confederacy, however, had already been crushed by the time Lincoln was killed, and the Union government was securely in charge. It’s hard to believe that the KGC would try to assassinate a sitting president in an effort to destabilize the Union government and restore Confederate influence. It’s hard to see how something like that might reverse the Union’s victory.

The KGC theory’s proposed procedures also have serious feasibility issues. Proponents of the thesis assert that the KGC plotted a multifaceted conspiracy involving numerous actors and elaborate strategies. President Lincoln was murdered, however, by actor and known Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. The theory’s assertions of a bigger conspiracy involving the KGC call for convincing proof to substantiate the scenario’s credibility.

It is also unclear how realistic the theory’s stated aims for the KGC really are. Restoring Confederate authority and exacting vengeance through the murder of a single person, no matter how influential is an approach that is unlikely to succeed in the long run from a political perspective. There were just too many moving parts in the Union government for the activities of any one person or organization to have a major impact.

The lack of hard evidence for the Knights of the Golden Circle theory should be taken into account when deciding how credible and reasonable it is. The KGC was not found to have been involved in the scheme through official investigations or the prosecution of the defendants. Circumstantial evidence, faulty witness testimony, and varying readings of coded messages and papers are all used to support the claims of ties between Booth and Confederate sympathizers or the KGC (Edwards np).

So, while the KGC theory does provide an alternate explanation for President Lincoln’s killing, it is not without its problems in terms of plausibility and internal consistency. There needs to be strong evidence to back up the claimed reasons, techniques, and ends of the purported conspiracy. Since no such proof exists, and since the historical consensus places sole responsibility on Booth, the Knights of the Golden Circle theory is suspect.

Real-World Concerns Embodied or Projected by The Knights of the Golden Circle Theory

Some of the fears and worries of the post-Civil War and Reconstruction era can be seen in the Knights of the Golden Circle hypothesis. According to Mareite (226), the KGC was a front for a group of people who were against the Union government and wanted to keep slavery in place. Equally disappointing to them was the Union victory in the Civil War and the subsequent abolition of slavery.

The theory proposes that the KGC aimed to restore Confederate influence and authority, reflecting the anxieties of ex-Confederates and their allies about their role in a post-war society. There is some speculation that the killing of President Lincoln was an attempt by the KGC to undermine the Reconstruction period and restore its power.

The thesis also emphasizes the differences and hostilities that existed between the North and the South during Reconstruction. This further demonstrates the widespread hostility against the federal government because of the perceived violation of state sovereignty. For this reason, the KGC theory is representative of the post-Civil War anxieties and frustrations of Southern sympathizers and ex-Confederates who felt they had lost their political and economic clout.

Evidence that Supports the Existence Supporters of the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) theory

There are a number of pieces of evidence that back up the assertions of the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) idea. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, is said to have had ties to KGC members who sympathized with the Confederacy (Evans np), which is a crucial piece of evidence. There is evidence that Booth visited Confederate states and harboured strong Southern sympathies. Proponents of KGC’s involvement in the conspiracy point to the fact that Booth knew people like John Surratt, who is widely considered to have been a member of the KGC.

Coded messages and papers have also been pointed to as proof of KGC involvement. Some have speculated that the KGC played a role in the plot based on rumours that a decrypted letter from Booth to co-conspirator David Herold contained KGC language and symbols (Evans np). Evidence of KGC involvement has also been inferred from the testimonies of persons like Lewis Powell and Samuel Arnold, who were implicated in the assassination conspiracy. Powell said during his trial that he and George Bickley, commander of the KGC, met to plot Powell’s murder. Arnold was indicted as a co-conspirator at first but was later released owing to a lack of evidence. Arnold was known to have ties to the KGC. Experts and historians have questioned the veracity of the claimed ties between Booth, Confederate supporters, and the KGC. Due to the questionable nature of the conspirators’ arrests and trials, many people are sceptical of the veracity of their decoded messages and testimony. The KGC was not directly implicated in the assassination plot, either in official investigations or the trial of the suspects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) hypothesis is fascinating and spectacular, but its credibility remains in doubt. The idea proposes that the shadowy group had a major hand in killing President Abraham Lincoln. However, there is a dearth of data to back up this notion, and it has not been supported by either a consensus of experts or archival study. The theory’s credibility is diminished by the lack of evidence directly attributable to the KGC. Furthermore, there are considerable difficulties in the practicality and logic of the purported conspiracy’s purpose, techniques, and goals. Conventional historical wisdom places sole responsibility on Booth.

Many people with strong Confederate and white supremacist ideology have been drawn to the KGC idea. This view, however, is still on the periphery of scholarly and historical consensus. Even if it’s worthwhile to consider other perspectives, data and consensus among experts should always be relied upon when drawing judgments. Conclusions must be based on solid evidence, and the assassination of President Lincoln was a pivotal and sad event in American history. In light of what we know now, it’s unlikely that the KGC played a major role in President Lincoln’s assassination.

Work Cited

Bianco, Emma. “Memorializing a” Golden Era” in the Golden State: The United Daughters of the Confederacy in Orange County, California.” Southern California Quarterly 104.1 (2022): 5-34.

Dice, Mark. Inside the Illuminati: Evidence, Objectives, and Methods of Operation. The Resistance, 2014.

Donley, Genie A. The gathering storm: The role of white nationalism in US politics. Diss. Cleveland State University, 2018.

Edwards, William C., and Edward Steers, eds. The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence. University of Illinois Press, 2010.

Evans, Clifford Wyatt. The Living of John Wilkes Booth: Politics and Memory in Modern America. Drew University, 2003.

Forsyth, John. “Free speech or sedition: Clement L. Valladigham and the Copperheads, 1860-1864.” (2020).

Getler, Warren, and Bob Brewer. Rebel Gold: One Man’s Quest to Crack the Code Behind the Secret Treasure of the Confederacy. Simon and Schuster, 2004.

Harris, Brendan. “California’s Dilemma: Northern And Southern Sympathies During The American Civil War.” Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History 3.2 (2020): 5.

Lause, Mark A. A Secret Society History of the Civil War. University of Illinois Press, 2011.

Lause, Mark A. A Secret Society History of the Civil War. University of Illinois Press, 2011.

Mareite, Thomas. ““Mexico Was Free! No Slave Clanked His Chains under Its Government”: Contests over Mexico’s Free Soil, 1836–1861.” Conditional Freedom. Brill, 2022. 181-236.

Monsour, John Tucker. Fire in the Rear: An Assessment of Copperhead Influence and the Forfeiture of Civil Liberties. Diss. 2019.