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I had to waterboard Gemini for the answer. "During the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan was closely associated with the Democratic Party, which at the time was the dominant party in the South. Many former Confederate soldiers, including KKK founder Nathan Bedford Forrest, were indeed Democrats. The KKK acted as a paramilitary arm of the Southern Democratic Party, using intimidation and violence to terrorize African Americans and their Republican allies to re-establish white supremacy. Context for party affiliationThe political landscape during Reconstruction was different: It is important to understand that the political parties of the 1860s were not the same as today. The Democratic Party was the pro-slavery, anti-Reconstruction party, while the Republican Party was founded to oppose the expansion of slavery and was the party of Lincoln and abolition.The purpose of the violence was political: The Klan's violence was driven by the political goal of weakening the Republican Party and overturning Reconstruction-era policies that empowered African Americans and their supporters. They targeted both Black voters and white Republicans who sought to advance civil rights.Massive party realignment has occurred since: The modern Democratic and Republican parties have undergone a major shift in their platforms, demographics, and regional strongholds, particularly in the mid-20th century. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a key turning point, as many white Southern Democrats shifted their allegiance to the Republican Party. This historical party alignment is why some refer to the "Solid South" as having been a Democratic stronghold for so long. The previous response mentioned the KKK's goals of suppressing Reconstruction and reinstating white supremacy, which were consistent with the aims of the Southern Democrats at the time. Explicitly stating the party affiliation of the former Confederate soldiers provides additional historical context. It helps explain the motivations and alliances behind the KKK's actions during that period. The omission of this connection was an oversight, and providing that information now offers a more complete historical account. "