While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Once back in Baltimore, Kane was quickly appointed to the municipal water board, known as the Jones Falls Commission. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, and parts of Central America. During the American Civil War, some Southern sympathizers in the Union or Northern states, such as Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, were accused of belonging to the Knights of the Golden Circle, and in some cases, such as that of Lambdin P. Milligan, they were imprisoned for their activities. Research also pointed towards a society known as the Knights of the Golden Circle or 'K.G.C.' which was a pro-Confederate organization founded in the mid-1850s with the goal of preserving slavery and creating an empire based on agriculture with labour provided by slaves.. Floyd received instructions from the Order to "seize Navy-yards, Forts, etc. However, that hasnt stopped some people from suggesting that the organization is still active as an underground society today. Warren Getler and Bob Brewer, Rebel Gold: One Mans Quest to Crack the Code Behind the Secret Treasure of the Confederacy (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004). activity circulated for a few more years, but there is no dependable evidence that the organization survived the war in any meaningful way. In early 1862, Radical Republicans in the Senate, aided by Secretary of State William H. Seward, suggested that former president Franklin Pierce, who was greatly critical of the Lincoln administration's war policies, was an active member of the Knights of the Golden Circle. itself probably received greater attention during the war for its supposed role in a treasonous plot variously called the Northwest Conspiracy, the Copperhead Movement, and similar names in the old Northwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. "Mike" Campbell, . Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. The KGC's proposal grew out of previous unsuccessful proposals to annex Cuba (Ostend Manifesto), parts of Central America (Filibuster War), and all of Mexico (All of Mexico Movement). But a majority don't focus on why. The scandal made an impression on young John Wilkes, who was fiercely proud of his illustrious family name. Many prominent Texans joined the K.G.C., and Bickley even courted Gov. Proudly powered by WordPress | The banking panic of 1907 comes and goes. Joseph Holt, Report of the Judge Advocate General on The Order of American Knights, alias The Sons of Liberty. A Western Conspiracy in aid of the Southern Rebellion (Washington, DC: Union Congressional Committee, 1864). 6Why is the Golden Circle called the Golden Circle? With the abolition of slavery and the reintegration of the Southern United States into the Union, the Knights of the Golden Circle lost any popularity they mightve had. as the source of the immense treasure, worth more than $10 million dollars in todays economy. They are armed with an axe and a corn knife, but it is sufficient to uncover one of the greatest found treasures in American history. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society formed in 1854 by sympathizers of Southern causes, dedicated to supporting pro-slavery policies and promoting the conquest of Mexico. connections with the Knights of the Golden Circle and each asking for a substantial cash gift in return for securing the son's release. California Senator Milton Latham subsequently did so when he entered the entire PierceSeward correspondence into the Congressional Globe. His case galvanized abolitionists in the North. Do Knights of the Golden Circle still exist? [17] When Confederate Maj. Gen. Jubal Early's infantry division passed through York County, Pennsylvania, they took what they needed anyway. Timothy H. OSullivan/U.S. Alternate titles: Order of American Knights. The OLS operated as something of an unofficial army which took it upon itself to invade South American countries and forcibly take control of them for the sake of America. Not by chance, on South Central Avenue at this time just 4/10th of a mile from Booths home lived a candle and soap company executive named Andrew Saulsbury. Does the Knights of the Golden Circle still exist? April 9, 1865 Centering on Havana, this empire would be some 2,400 miles in diameterhence the name Golden Circle. Rebel, In late 1863, the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was reorganized as the Order of American Knights and again, early in 1864, as the Order of the Sons of Liberty, with Ohio politician Clement L. Vallandigham, most prominent of the Copperheads, as its supreme commander, with Its original object to provide a force to colonize the northern part of Mexico and the West Indies and thus . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Theme: Envo Blog. Booth had performed for President Lincoln at Fords Theatre in November 1863. The place they chose to stay, disguising themselves as rebel hotheads, was The Fountain Hotel. There exist reports of the KGC continuing after 1864 as a secret group which planned to start fighting the Civil War again, as soon as a generation or two had passed and they had regained their manpower and resources." . Secretive organizations such as the K.G.C. The group is said to have included men such as Albert Pike, John Wilkes Booth (assassin of President Abraham Lincoln . Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 4:27 PM. [6], Hounded by creditors, Bickley left Cincinnati in the late 1850s and traveled through the East and South, promoting an armed expedition to Mexico. Kane would be replaced on the Jones Falls Commission by Webb employee Andrew J. Saulsbury, now owner of the home with 5,000 gold coins buried in the basement. However, this dream of the Golden Circle would never be realized. This distrust was the result of a confirmed plot to overthrow the federal government, rather than general discontent. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/knights-of-the-golden-circle. According to the Texas State Historical Association, the Knights of the Golden Circle originated in Lexington, Kentucky, fittingly on July 4, 1854. According to the records of the K.G.C. Seal of the President of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Wikimedia CommonsAbraham Lincolns assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was allegedly a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Chapter I. Background'Southern Rights' Clubs. Discover more about Copperhead opposition to Abraham Lincoln during the U.S. presidential election of 1864, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Knights-of-the-Golden-Circle, Texas State Historical Association - Handbook of Texas - Knights of the Golden Circle. It was one of the 3 lodges that would become the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. Time went on, the fortune in coins being forgotten. Indeed, with that kind of representation, slave-holding states could stop any and all abolitionist policies organized by free Northern states. Bickley responded by calling a general convention of the K.G.C., which met in Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 711, 1860. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. These Knights of the Golden Circle After months of recruiting his team, securing weapons, and preparing an escape route, Booth was ready to act. It's the 'soul' of who you are, as Sinek explained: "It's why you exist and get out of bed in the morning". He sued, unsuccessfully, for the freedom of himself and his family as they were living in the free state of Illinois. Randolph W. Farmer, The Knights of the Golden Circle in Texas: How a Secret Society Shaped a State (Las Vegas, Nevada: Vita Histria, 2022). The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret military organization created in 1859 by George W. L. Bickley in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Golden Circle advocates businesses starting with why they are in existence and then developing a product to suit - as opposed to the reverse. Some 250,000 to 300,000 oath-bound members were said to have existed in the Midwest. Its stated aim was to sponsor and conduct military expeditions into the Caribbean region (the Golden Circle) for the purpose of bringing new slave territories into the Union. Abraham Lincolns assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was allegedly a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. There were three different types of membership within the Golden Circle: military, financial, and governing. References: Ollinger Crenshaw, "The Knights of the Golden Circle: The Career of George Bickley," American Historical Review 47 (1941). In either case, the goal was to increase the power of the Southern slave-holding upper class to such a degree that it could never be dislodged.[3]. developed a second plan for invading Mexico later in 1860, but it proved abortive as attention turned to the presidential election and the secession movement that followed immediately across the lower South. This enormous empire would have a diameter of 2,400 miles. members gathered at the Rio Grande for an invasion of Mexico, but Bickley failed to appear with a large force that he claimed to be assembling in New Orleans, and nothing came of the venture. The K.G.C. Bickley, who served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army before being arrested as a spy in Indiana in July 1863 and held until October 1865, died in August 1867. The Montreal office seems to have approved the idea, and to have advanced Booth some seed money to organize the plot. Every penny counts! The order and its alleged influence sparked the formation of Union League clubs to carry on counterpropaganda. Is there an authentic Confederate Knights of the Golden Circle book? One such cache was actually discovered by two Baltimore boys in 1934 who found 5,000 gold coins worth $10 million in todays dollars. I dont know what their designs are. Mexico would be acquired and divided into multiple slave-holding states with an appointed congressman. That same year, Asbury Harpending and California members of the Knights of the Golden Circle in San Francisco outfitted the schooner J. M. Chapman as a Confederate privateer in San Francisco Bay, with the object of raiding commerce on the Pacific Coast and capturing gold shipments to the East Coast. Charles Webb was also something of a political kingmaker in Baltimore for the Southern Democrats, the party that would oppose Lincoln and promote the continuation of slavery. Image Credit: "The origins of the Knights of the Golden Circle can be traced to Cincinnati con man George Bickley." Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The country would have been centered in Havana and would have consisted of the Southern United States and a "golden circle" of territories in Mexico (which was to be divided into 25 new slave states), Central America, northern parts of South America, and Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and most other islands in the Caribbean, about 2,400 miles (3,900km) in diameter.[1][2]. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. Know Before You Go. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Everyone thought Bob was bonkers . An Authentic Exposition of the K.G.C. Knights of the Golden Circle, or, A History of Secession from 1834 to 1861, by A Member of the Order (Indianapolis, Indiana: C. O. Perrine, Publisher, 1861). Randolph B. These investigators also allege that many famed characters from the Civil War era, including John Wilkes Booth and Jesse James, belonged to and acted under the influence of the Knights. It amassed billions in stolen gold and silver. The Knights of the Golden Circle or KGC were a secret society during the American Civil War period. Your why is your underlying purpose and belief. A secret group is known as the golden circle organised by high ranking Confederates holding on to the idea and cruelty of slavery.Subscribe to Discovery TV f. The following year, the Knights began publishing their own newspaper and established their headquarters in Washington, D. C. In 1860, during . The whereabouts of the Danville silver to this day is unknown. 1,880 likes. The group included notable figures such as Elkanah Greer, a colonel of the Third Texas Cavalry, and future governor of Texas L. Sullivan Ross. In 1859-60 he backed the like-minded George Brown for Mayor, and the fiery slave-owning, Lincoln hating George P. Kane for the position of police marshal. KGC Meeting. An 1861 book cover re the Knights of the Golden Circle and their purported flag. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. (currently published under the title of Rebel Gold ISBN 978-0-7432-1969-3) Hicks, Jimmie (July 1961).

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