Throughout the 20th century, Michigan became home to nearly every emerging grassroots political movement, whether from "left," "right," or "middle of the road." This class introduces the people who supported the most extreme of those movements, and who were (and are) often denounced as disgraceful: members of the KKK (1920s), Father Charles Coughlin and his followers (1930s), the anti-Communists and the John Birch Society (post-World War II). We will explore and discuss the complex historical circumstances that prompted the emergence of extremist organizations in Michigan. Our primary focus will be on members of the Michigan Militia, who first appeared in the mid-1990s. Who were (are) these people? What has led them to adopt unsanctioned and unorthodox plans and tactics? Why Michigan?