History of Albert Pike in Timeline

Albert Pike was a man of many talents and roles. He was an American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, and jurist. He served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and a senior officer in the Confederate States Army. Pike is also known for his prominent role in the Freemasons, serving as the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, Scottish Rite.

1900: Gen. Albert Pike's Poems Published

Albert Pike's poems were republished in a collection titled "Gen. Albert Pike's Poems" in 1900, after his death.

1901: Pike Memorial Erected

A memorial dedicated to Albert Pike was erected in Washington, D.C.'s Judiciary Square neighborhood in 1901.

1905: Pike Identified as Klan Official

Walter Lynwood Fleming's book "Ku Klux Klan: Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment," published in 1905, identified Albert Pike as a high-ranking official within the Ku Klux Klan.

1915: Albert Pike Klan Established

An Illinois chapter of the revived Ku Klux Klan, named the "Albert Pike Klan," was established in 1915.

1915: Ku Klux Klan Revived

The Ku Klux Klan experienced a revival in 1915.

1916: Lyrics and Love Songs Published

In 1916, another collection of Albert Pike's poetry, "Lyrics and Love Songs," was published posthumously.

1924: Authentic History: Ku Klux Klan, 1865–1877 Published

Susan Lawrence Davis's book, "Authentic History: Ku Klux Klan, 1865–1877," published in 1924, claimed that Albert Pike held key positions in the Ku Klux Klan, including "Chief Judicial Officer."

1939: Invisible Empire: The Story of the Ku Klux Klan, 1866–1871 Published

Stanley Horn's book, "Invisible Empire: The Story of the Ku Klux Klan, 1866–1871," published in 1939, also asserted that Albert Pike was a leader within the Ku Klux Klan in Arkansas.

1944: Remains Moved to the House of the Temple

Albert Pike's remains were relocated to the House of the Temple, the headquarters of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, in 1944.

1945: Letter Suggests Changed Views on Race

A 1945 letter written by Willard W. Allen, the Sovereign Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council, S.J. Prince Hall Affiliation, suggested that Albert Pike's views on African Americans may have evolved positively later in his life.

1971: Doubts Cast on Pike's KKK Membership

Allen W. Trelease's book, "White Terror: The Ku Klux Klan Conspiracy and Southern Reconstruction," published in 1971, questioned Albert Pike's alleged membership in the Ku Klux Klan, citing a lack of evidence in the Klan's constitution.

1997: Pike Biography Disputes Klan Affiliation

Walter Lee Brown's biography of Albert Pike, published in 1997, disputed claims of Pike's Ku Klux Klan membership, relying on Trelease's work and dismissing previous accounts as unreliable.

2019: Calls for Statue Removal

In 2019, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton advocated for the removal of the Albert Pike statue in Washington, D.C.

June 19, 2020: Pike Statue Torn Down

Amidst the George Floyd protests, a statue of Albert Pike in Washington, D.C., was torn down and set on fire on June 19, 2020, due to his ties to the Confederacy and alleged involvement with the Ku Klux Klan.