The Red Scare 1920’s

The Bolshevik Revolution took place in 1917, and installed a communist government In Russia; Vladimir Lenin takes control . Soon there were communist uprisings in Hungary and Bavaria. It seemed that communism was spreading rapidly. Even in the U.S. two small communist parties had formed by 1919.

The Red Scare was a violent wave of anti-Communist panic that swept through the U.S. after WWI. It was a deep fear of the spread of communism. Because of this fear, Americans formed a hatred for foreign born citizens who have different political ideals, and unions. Why unions (Communist Manifesto) explained later!

SACCO & VANZETTI 1921 Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (Italian immigrants) were convicted of murder. They were convicted unfairly due to their political beliefs in radicalism (advocating political or social revolution), and anarchy (belief that restraint of one person by another is evil, and not recognizing the authority of any government). They were executed in 1927, in 1977 there was a retrial, where they were found innocent.

PALMER RAIDS U.S. Attorney General Mitchell Palmer believed the Bolshevik plan to take over the world had come to the U.S. He began to gather intelligence on radicals. He planned raids on the Union of Russian Workers in 12 cities. 249 aliens were deported to Russia. In one night over 4,000 men (many U.S. citizens) in 33 different cities, were arrested. Many of these prisoners were deprived of food, water, heat, bathroom facilities, and were beaten by guards. Huge civil rights violations. Many were deported

STRIKES IN THE U.S. IN 1919 After the war the cost of living had more than doubled, but wages lagged far behind. In 1919 there were close to 3,600 strikes. All the strikes were labeled Bolshevik or un-American by the press and the government. There was no public support of the strikes. Owners broke up union meetings, and employed police and soldiers to end the strikes. Strikers did not win any of their demands.

Why was striking seen as Bolshevik, radical or un-American? We must understand how communism is to spread according to Karl Marx its creator: (Communist Manifesto) capitalism creates classes (working, poor) and (owning, rich). According to Marx the working class will get tired of working hard and just barely making it by. all workers would join together and overthrow their bosses/owners and take all of their possessions. the workers would take all the riches and divide it equally among themselves, so that everyone would have a fair share. Thus, Communism is born: no rich or poor class, everyone is equal.

THE RED SCARE FOSTERS THE KKK The Ku Klux Klan rises again due to the anti immigrant hysteria. By 1924 the membership rose to 4.5 million. Not only do they not tolerate blacks, new targets are: Catholics, Jews, and all foreign born people. (especially from southern and eastern Europe)

The Emergency Quota Act 1924 Created in 1921, but amended in 1924. It limited European immigration 10 2% of the population already here as of 1890. This discriminated against people of southern and eastern Europe (Catholics and Jews). It also banned Japanese immigration (ending the Gentlemen’s Agreement created by T. Roosevelt 1907)