The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a Non-Masonic semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. According to Britannica, the organization was launched in 1859 by George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, with the goal of establishing military colonies of Americans in Mexico. The ultimate goal of the plan was the annexation of all of Mexico to the United States.
However, as the Civil War approached, the focus of the KGC shifted to supporting the secession movement and intimidating Unionists in the South. According to David Keehn, once the war began, the KGC helped build up the nascent Confederate army. According to a source from Virginiahistory.org, the KGC was a mysterious southern-based society that set out in 1859 to establish a slave empire in Mexico.
It is important to note that there is some uncertainty and myth surrounding the history of the KGC. According to a source, the KGC never got anywhere close to reaching its goal.
It is also worth mentioning that The Knights of the Golden Circle should not be confused with “The Sons of Liberty” which is a different secret society with a different history and purpose.
In summary, The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a semi-military secret society active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. The organization was founded in 1859 by George Bickley with the goal of establishing military colonies of Americans in Mexico. However, as the Civil War approached, the focus of the KGC shifted to supporting the secession movement and intimidating Unionists in the South. Much of the history of the KGC is uncertain and even mythical.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Knights-of-the-Golden-Circle
https://virginiahistory.org/learn/historical-media/knights-golden-circle-secret-empire-secession-civil-war-1
https://www.pr51st.com/the-knights-of-the-golden-circle/
https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/bri/k/knights-of-the-golden-circle.html
https://mexicounexplained.com/knights-golden-circle-secret-american-plot-take-mexico/
Note that the Knights of the Golden Circle are NON-MASONIC and have nothing to do with Freemasonry or Masonic ideologies.