Cross burning is a practice widely associated with racist groups in North America. It was customary for the Klansmen to burn crosses (usually in the shape of Latin crosses) on hillsides and near the homes of those they wished to frighten. Masked Klansmen also marched through the streets of many communities, carrying placards threatening various persons with summary punishment and warning others to leave town. Many persons were kidnapped, flogged, and mutilated by the Klan; a number were killed. Few prosecutions of Klansmen resulted until after the Civil Rights Movement was firmly established, and in some communities the Klan were abetted by local officials, sometimes in secret and sometimes rather openly, until such officials began to be prosecuted by federal officials for official oppression.

The practice of cross burning came to America with immigrants from Scotland. In Scotland the "fiery cross" was used as a declaration of war, which required all clan members to rally to the defense of the area. A small burning cross would be carried from town to town. The most recent known use there was in 1745, during a Stuart uprising. [1]