American History Chapter 19-1 Postwar Havoc
Post WWI Concerns American soldiers returning home brought a deadly flu virus. Killed 10 times more Americans than WWI battles did. Bolsheviks: A new foreign enemy in Russia. Vladimir Lenin instituted communism in the new Soviet Union. People share equally in society’s wealth. Lenin Bolshevik flag
First Red Scare Americans referred to communists as “Reds & Socialists.” Feared the overthrow of capitalism. Lenin encouraged workers to rise up in revolt. Communist parties formed in the U.S. Red Scare: Widespread fear of communism. Led to the Palmer raids: Attorney Gen., A. Mitchell Palmer led an anti-communism campaign. Included the deportation of suspected radical aliens. Arrested thousands using wartime laws.
Palmer Raids IWW Headquarters Palmer
Labor Strife 1919: 4 million workers in 3,000 strikes. Cities faced major disruptions. Workers lost almost every strike. The public associated unions with radicalism & communism. Demand for goods decreased. Returning soldiers needed jobs. President Wilson did little to support labor.
Major Strikes
Immigration Concerns Red Scare triggered a distrust for foreigners. Labor leaders wanted to restrict the number of immigrants. National Origins Act 1924: Restricted immigration from southern & eastern Europe and Asia. KKK began to target Jews, Catholics, and all radicals. Sacco & Vanzetti case: Italian immigrants/anarchists tried for murder & robbery. Executed with little evidence backing a guilty verdict.
Almost as easy as American History