 Influenza (the “flu”) found breeding grounds in the military camps and trenches of WWI  As Americans gathered to welcome home the troops, the flu spread quickly in the streets  In 1918 and 1919, ten times the number of Americans who died in WWI would die worldwide of the flu; more than half a million were Americans

 The Rise of the Bolsheviks › In 1917, a violent revolution ripped across Russia; the Red Army of the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, had taken control, and Russia would soon become the Soviet Union › Lenin dreamed of a new social system – communism – for not only his people, but for the world What is communism??

 A system of government which promotes the establishment of a “classless, stateless” society  Lenin believed that all people should share equally in society’s wealth › No economic/social classes › No private property/ownership

 Americans were baffled of – and frightened by – communism › Americans valued the opportunity to better themselves by hard work and ingenuity and appreciated the ability to own property  Communism called for the overthrow of capitalism, the American way of life  Lenin called for the workers (i.e., blue collar workers) to revolt Modern-day Communists storm Wall Street

 Communist parties formed in America after the war  A Red Scare, or widespread fear of communism, enveloped the nation  The government took the threat seriously › New York state legislators voted to bar five legally elected socialists from office › In addition, they made it a crime to call for the overthrow of government Lego Lenin

Who does this remind you of??

 Attorney General Mitchell Palmer lead raids, known as the Palmer Raids, on suspected radicals and communist sympathizers  To justify these raids, Palmer used wartime laws that gave the government broad powers › Deportation of ‘ aliens ’

 The year following the Great War, was one of the most explosive for the labor movement  Wartime success/productivity and peacetime disappointments/slumps set the stage for more than 3,000 strikes involving over four million workers

 During the war, Wilson had sought good relations with workers, who were keeping our troops clothed...  After the war, Wilson’s focus switched to his peace plan, and he did little to promote worker’s rights  In addition, the sinking postwar demand for goods damaged many industries, and returning soldiers had trouble finding jobs

 Because communism was closely tied to the promotion of the working class; many people grew suspicious of organized labor  As a result, unions lost members and political power

 Competition for scarce jobs coupled with the Red Scare triggered an ugly backlash against foreigners  Labor leaders, along with the Nativists, pushed for immigration restrictions › In 1921, we established a quota for how many immigrants we’d allow into the country – less than 2% of the country’s population was allowed to immigrate

 Nativism sparked a revival of the KKK › Targeted:  African Americans  Jews  Catholics

 In 1920, two men, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were arrested for armed robbery and murder; the two men were Italian immigrants, they also proclaimed themselves anarchists...  At the trial, it became clear there was no evidence against them and that they were really on trial for their political beliefs... not robbery or murder.  Despite public outrage, the two men were convicted and sentenced to death “I am suffering because I am a radical, and indeed I am a radical; I have suffered because I was an Italian, and indeed I am Italian.” - Bartolomeo Vanzetti

Review your notes over Sacco and Vanzetti... write a short editorial explaining the public interest in the trial of the two men; specifically, explain to what extent – if any – you believe the Red Scare and hostility toward immigrants played a role in their conviction and subsequent execution.