Hardin, Joshua
HS 202-2128
8-13-98
"The Red Scare"
In the beginning there came an outbreak of such wide spread terror that it was considered a national alarm by the year 1919. The heightened nationalism of WWI, aimed at achieving unity at the expense of ethnic diversity, found a new target in Bolshevism. The triumph of Marxism in Great Russia frightened many Americans. The possibility of a growing communism, especially among American radicals, accelerated fears to the brink a paranoia. With a peak number of sixty thousand widespread communist throughout major cities whose influence had been magnified by the outbreak of widespread labor disputes.
A police strike in Boston,, a general strike in Seattle, and a violent strike in the iron and steel industry thoroughly alarmed the American people. In the summer of 1919 a series of bombings led to panic. First the Mayor of Seattle received a brown package containing a homemade bomb. Second was the quick to realize postal worker who detected six bombs addressed to a variety of famous citizens. Finally the bomb that blew the door and bomber off the house of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's house quickly sent the public into hysteria.
In the following months Attorney General Palmer led an attack upon this new alien threat. Palmer abandoned his earlier liberalism to launch a massive roundup of foreign born radicals. In a series of raids beginning in the month of November federal agents seized suspected anarchists and Communists and held them for deportation without regard for due process. In December 249 aliens-including well known radical leaders such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkam were sent back to Russia . Nearly all these aliens were innocent of their crimes held against them. By January Palmer had rounded up nearly four thousand "suspected" Communist. Federal agents tore through the country and major cities without search warrants or regard for their captives. Many Americans had been accidentally detained in jail before being released. Those aliens that had been caught were deported without hearings or trials.
In time this Red Scare reflected the prevailing views of American people. Instead of condemning their governments actions, citizens voiced their approval and some even urged more drastic steps. One patriot is quoted as saying "S.O.S. - Ship Or Shoot." The nations people quickly formed groups and protective committees such as the Legionaires of Washington who actually dragged a man from jail and hung him from a rail road bridge. The following investigative report said the victim jumped of the bridge with a rope around his neck and then shot himself full of holes.
As fast as the Red Scare came it almost as quickly departed. Reluctant government officials insisted upon due process and a full hearing before anymore suspected communist were deported. Prominent government leaders began to speak out against these acts of political terrorism. Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding, the embodiment of middle-class values, expressed his opinion that "too much has been said about Bolshevism in America." Palmer himself went too far with his May 1st prediction of a vast revolution that led to the entire New York police force to be held on duty. When no bombings or violence took place on "Mayday" the public took notice of Palmers paranoia. Excluding one bombing in late September on Wall Street the Red Scare had died out by the end of 1920. Palmer passed into obscurity, the tiny Communist party became torn with factionalism, and the American people tried hard to forget their momentary loss of balance.
Related Links: