the Steel Wheel

The Steel Wheel was a political organization established in 1896 by white Southern Democrats who aimed to restore white supremacy and maintain segregation after the end of Reconstruction. It was a secret society that promoted voter suppression, intimidation, and violence to disfranchise African Americans and their allies, preventing them from gaining political power. The group used threats, violence, and electoral manipulation to uphold racial inequalities and preserve the dominance of white Democrats in the South. Its actions contributed to the systemic discrimination and disenfranchisement of Black citizens for decades.