Red+Scare+and+Palmer+Raids-period+8


 * //Red Scare and Palmer Raids//**

-Bolshevik revolution of 1917 started a small Communist party in the U.S. -strikes break out in America at war end and the Bolsheviks are blamed -strike in Seattle calls for federal troops to head off "the anarchy of Russia"
 * Early Tension**

-Attorney General who "saw red" very easily -called the "Fighting Quaker" -was convinced that Communist agents were planning to overthrow the American government -used the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act -on the November 7th 1919, 10,000 people suspected to be Communist and Anarchist were arrested and held without trial -most were released but 249 were deported back to Russia -early in 1920, 6,000 more were rounded up in various cities and held without trial; these were considered the Palmer Raids -a good portion of these people belonged to the Industrial Workers of the World -leaders of this organization included Eugene V. Debs, Daniel De Leon, and William Haywood -after no evidence was found of a revolution, many continued to be held without trial -Palmer then announced that the Communist revolution was to take place on May 1st, in reaction to this, five elected Socialists in New York were expelled from the legislature
 * A. Mitchell Palmer**

-bomb blast on Wall Street kills 38 and wounds several hundred more -strict laws passed in many cities in response that limited the freedom of speech of citizens -red scare provided great advantages to businesspeople who destroyed unions claiming to be "Sovietism in disguise" -two martyrs were made of two labor class men convicted of murder solely because they were Italians, atheists, anarchists, and draft dodgers (Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti) -no clear evidence supported the case that dragged on for 6 years but ended in the electrocution of both
 * Other events of the Red Scare**

"I believe we should place them [the reds] all on a ship of stone, with sails of lead, and that their first stopping place should be hell"-Guy Empey (author-soldier)