Boulder County Latino History
Boulder County Latino History
Teaching Our Stories
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Donate
  • Lessons & Resources
    • Lesson Database
    • Oral History Interviews Clips
    • Workshop Video Gallery
    • Spanish Resources
  • Primary Sources
    • Primary Source Sets
    • Primary Source Analysis Tools
    • Full Collection of Primary Sources
  • Books
    • About the Books
    • Book Outline with Teaching Links for Volume I: History and Contributions
    • Book Outline with Teaching Links for Volume II: Lives and Legacies
    • Download the Books
    • About the Author
    • Order Printed Books
  • Other Places
    • Generic Toolkits for Communities, Schools and Teachers
    • Generic Lesson Plans for All Communities
    • Resources for Other Communities
  • Home
  • Primary Source Sets
  • Racism and the Ku Klux Klan, 1910-1940

Racism and the Ku Klux Klan, 1910-1940

This resource describes racism and discrimination against Latinos in Boulder County in the early twentieth century, especially the activities of the Ku Klux Klan.

Full Text PDF: Chapter 4: Conflict, Racism, and Violence, 1910-1940

“A Summary of the Principles of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan,” p. 1

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

“Segregation, 1936,” by John Martinez

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

A KKK meeting in Boulder, 1920s, back of photo

February 16, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

A KKK meeting in Boulder, 1920s, front of photo

February 16, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ban on Immigration, Cartoon from Klan newspaper

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ku Klux Klan Controlled Longmont in 1920s, p. 1

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ku Klux Klan Controlled Longmont in 1920s, p. 2

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ku Klux Klan in Lafayette, 1926

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ku Klux Klan Visit Boulder, 1922

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ku Klux Klan: The Invisible Empire in Boulder County, p. 1

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Ku Klux Klan: The Invisible Empire in Boulder County, p. 2

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Mammoth Klan Parade in Longmont

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Sheriff saved prisoners from lynching, 1911, p. 1

March 8, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Sheriff saved prisoners from lynching, 1911, p. 2

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

The Klan Unmasked, Cartoon from Klan newspaper

February 9, 2016 / Mary Ellen Graziani /

View Collection Item

Read More

Historian Comments

Latinos living in Boulder County during the 1920s and 1930s experienced many forms of racism and discrimination. Most of Colorado’s residents came from Northern European backgrounds; they were committed to their Protestant religion and supported the ideal of rugged individualism. Many of them accepted without question the stereotype of Mexicans as dirty, lazy, and backward, people likely to be law-breakers. This section begins by talking about the background levels of racism in Longmont, Lafayette, and Boulder around 1920. It turns then to the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that preached a doctrine of white male supremacy for Protestant citizens only. Emerging in the early 1920s, the KKK gained tremendous influence in Boulder County. In all three of our towns, many—perhaps most—white men were members. A leading Klan newspaper was published in Boulder, and the KKK gained control over the government of Longmont, as it did at the state level. While not as physically violent here as in the southeastern US or New Mexico/Arizona, members of the Klan used various forms of intimidation, including putting burning crosses in front of Catholic churches and in the yards of Latino families. A photo showing a large Klan meeting at night is powerful, as are cartoons from the Klan newspaper. Although the KKK lost political control after 1926, racist attitudes and policies continued through the 1930s. Some Longmont businesses and eating/drinking places had signs saying “White Trade Only” or made Latinos use the back entrance; the movie theater had segregated seating. In Lafayette, a swimming pool was built for local children in 1934, but it was limited to whites. When Latinos protested, the pool was closed and eventually filled in with dirt rather than being integrated.

Teaching Boulder County Latino History is an extension of the Boulder County Latino History Project. This site provides resources for those interested in teaching Boulder County Latino History. The teaching resources are grounded in the books written by CU Boulder’s Distinguished Professor Marjorie McIntosh.

There are three central components to this site. The Lesson Database provides lessons for K-12 teachers. Each lesson uses primary sources and is grounded in the books by Prof. McIntosh. Beyond the curated lessons teachers are encouraged to explore the Primary Source Sets and access the full text of Prof. McIntosh’s books. The book outlines link lesson plans and primary sources to each chapter. Teachers and students are welcome to download all or parts of the books to support their learning.

Our Work

Lesson Topics

Businesses Celebrations/ ceremonies Children Civil rights activity Culture/ identity issues Deportation Education/ schools Employment, manufacturing/ unskilled Employment, professional/ skilled Families Farm work/ agriculture/ ranching Food/ cooking Government/ government programs/ laws Health/ medicine/ healing Houses/ living places Immigration Interviews done in 2013 Labor unions/ strikes Languages (Spanish and English) Mexico/ Mexicans Migrant workers Mining Music/ dancing/ art/ recreation Neighborhoods New Mexico/ New Mexicans Organizations/ clubs Police/ Sheriffs/ I.C.E. officials Political or community participation Quantitative information Racism/ discrimination/ segregation Religion/ churches Soldiers/ wars/ veterans Sports/ outdoor activities Transportation/ cars University of Colorado/ college students Women Work done by women and children

© 2023 Boulder County Latino History

CU School of Education

CU Office for Outreach and Engagement/ University of Colorado Boulder

The Colorado Health Foundation
Top