Alexander the Great’s epitaph expressed the sentiment that “the world is not enough.” In the mid-19th century United States, a group of Southern men known as the Knights of the Golden Circle shared a similar belief. This secret society aimed to protect and expand slavery, arguably the most contentious issue in American history. Although details about the Knights are scarce and their history is clouded by rumors, their ultimate goal was clear: to create an empire stretching from the Caribbean to the Pacific, built on tobacco, cotton, sugar, and the labor of slaves.
Fodder For Pro-Slavery Groups Like the Knights Of The Golden Circle
The Northern and Southern United States had different approaches to slavery since the country was colonized. While the North did have slaves, its economy did not depend solely on forced labor. Over time, Northern states began to prohibit slavery. In contrast, the South’s economy heavily relied on the free labor of slaves. According to the 1860 census, the South exploited around three to four million slaves. This difference created significant tension between the North and the South. As early as the mid-1830s, Southern rights groups emerged to promote slavery. This tension grew throughout the 19th century as new territories were added to the United States.
The Compromise of 1850 attempted to ease this tension but ended up worsening it. California became a free state, the status of slavery in Utah and New Mexico was left to popular sovereignty, and the slave trade in Washington, D.C. was abolished. In return, pro-slavery Southerners got the Fugitive Slave Act, which made it easier to recapture escaped slaves.
The 1857 Dred Scott decision, which extended abolitionism, convinced many white Southerners that slavery’s end was inevitable. Unwilling to give it up, they dreamed of expanding slavery so it could never be eradicated.
The Knights Of The Golden Circle Unite
One such man was George W. L. Bickley. Unlike others, he was fervent about expanding slavery. The Virginian doctor, adventurer, and editor envisioned a new era of American slavery and decided to create a new organization to achieve it. According to the Texas State Historical Association, the Knights of the Golden Circle originated in Lexington, Kentucky, on July 4, 1854. Bickley gathered a group of five men, whose names are now lost. The goal of Bickley’s secret organization was grand: to create a slavery-fueled empire called the “Golden Circle.”
This vast empire would have a diameter of 2,400 miles, with its capital in Havana, Cuba. Its influence would cover southern North America, Mexican territory, Central America, much of the Caribbean, and parts of northern South America. Mexico would be divided into multiple slave-holding states with appointed congressmen. Led by America’s Southern upper class, this empire would create a global monopoly on tobacco, sugar, and cotton, ensuring that slavery would never end.
The Knights’ mission was inspired by an older secret society called the Order of the Lone Star (OLS), which acted as an unofficial army invading South American countries. The Golden Circle had three types of membership: military, financial, and governing, with leadership being the latter and common members the former.
However, the tensions over slavery culminated in 1861 when the Southern Confederate States went to war with the Northern Union States in the Civil War, making the Knights’ goals impossible to achieve.
Prominent Members
The group included notable figures like Elkanah Greer, a colonel of the Third Texas Cavalry, and future Texas governor L. Sullivan Ross. Allegedly, Sam Houston, the Texas politician after whom the city of Houston is named, was also an early member but left due to their stance on the Union States. Some sources even link Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and the infamous outlaw Jesse James to the secret society.
By 1858, the Knights of the Golden Circle had established bylaws, rituals, and a constitution. Local chapters were called “castles,” and by the 1860s, Bickley claimed the group had over 100,000 members, though this is likely an exaggeration. More realistically, the Knights may have had around 50,000 members by 1860, with 16,000 in California, 8,000 each in Texas and Kentucky, and “castles” in states like Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Additionally, about 15,000 men joined the KGC following the dissolution of the OLS.
Pushing For Legislative Representation
The Knights aimed for a slave empire, but their immediate focus was Mexico. They wanted to annex Mexico and provide each American emigrant with 640 acres of land, to be worked by slaves. An army of 16,000 would protect these emigrants and uphold the treaty terms with Mexico, ensuring American control.
They envisioned creating fifty states from Mexico, which would require 50 senators and over 60 congressmen to represent their interests. This representation would ensure that the rights and desires of the South were acknowledged and that any abolitionist policies from the Northern states could be blocked.
Failed Plans For Mexico’s Invasion
Before the American Civil War ended slavery, the Knights focused on invading and annexing Mexico. However, this plan never materialized. Bickley failed to organize a successful raid, and the group often fell into disarray while he was fundraising. In New Orleans in 1860, 1,000 Knights descended into chaos while Bickley was away.
This disbandment meant they couldn’t join other Knights near the Mexico border in March 1860. A military wing planned to march to the Rio Grande, attracting some local support. A journalist reported that the area was filled with members of the organization, with more arriving daily. However, a U.S. soldier stationed nearby noted in a letter that, although many men had gathered, their intentions seemed unclear and disorganized.
Despite the large group near the Mexican border, the invasion never happened. Lack of funds, faith in Bickley’s leadership, and overall disorganization led to the failure of the Knights’ annexation attempt.
The American Civil War Dissolves The Circle
There were unsubstantiated rumors that the Knights were involved in the Confederate incursion known as Morgan’s Raid, which aimed to draw out Union troops in Ohio and Indiana with some 2,000 men. Like the Knights’ own attempts, Morgan’s Raid failed.
The true battleground for slavery was the American Civil War, which took place between 1861 and 1865. The Confederate States lost to the Union States, leading to the end of slavery and the dreams of the Golden Circle.
Many Knights of the Golden Circle fought for the Confederacy, including Bickley, who served as an army surgeon before being captured for espionage and dying in 1867.
With the abolition of slavery and the reintegration of the Southern United States into the Union, the Knights of the Golden Circle lost any remaining popularity. However, some still suggest that the organization exists as an underground society today.
Treasure, Conspiracies, And Legacy
Rumors persist that the Knights of the Golden Circle hid treasures that remain undiscovered. This treasure was supposedly meant to finance another Civil War that would be more successful for the South.
In 1934, two Baltimore boys discovered one such cache, finding 5,000 gold coins worth $10 million in today’s dollars. Many believe more treasures are still hidden across the United States and potentially in Canada.
The legend of this treasure lives on, particularly in Bob Brewer, who thinks his ancestors hid gold in Arkansas. After retiring from the Navy in 1977, Brewer dedicated himself to finding it, becoming an expert on the subject. He even served as a consultant for the 2007 movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which touches on this legend.
Brewer has found some evidence supporting the legend. In 1991, he discovered a cache of 1800s coins worth $400. The total value of these treasures is estimated to be about $2 million in the 19th century, making them worth around $160 million today.
There is also speculation that the Ku Klux Klan originated from the Knights of the Golden Circle, acting as the military branch of the society. One historian even claimed that the “KGC spawned the original KKK.”
Unfortunately, much of the Knights’ history may remain just legend. This is perhaps to be expected from a secret society.
Find out more amazing stories of Civil War-era America, from John Wilkes Booth’s supposed sex addiction to Harriet Tubman’s never-before-seen photo.