Red Scare

The Fear of the spread of Communism in the USA

First Red Scare- 1920's

Second Red Scare- 1945-54

Huge Immigration- 8 million 1900-1909, don't speak english, coming from already communist areas

Russian Revolution- 1917, Comintern, Russia is very close to USA

Wave of Strikes- 1919, Trade unions, left wing, strikes seen as unamerica, going against capitalism, more strikes, more communists. 1919 police in Boston went on strike, 4 million people on strike in 1919

Increase in left wing violence- Communists and anarchists became violent toward America people, 1919 Attorney General Palmer had his house bombed, this led to the Palmer raidsThese tried to get rid of Communists, 600 deported and 1,000 arrested in 1919. 1920 bobmb went off in Wall street killling 38 people, this was due to its representation of capitalism. They also tried to assasinate Rockefellor.

Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants, who were charged with robbery and murder in Boston september 1920. They were arrested because they were anarchists and they supported the strikes that had taken place. As well as this they spoke out against the war.

At court they did not recieve a fair trial- the judge Webster Theyer refered to them privatly as the anarchist bastards'

They were found Guilty, with many seening it as a niscarrage of Justice- 'Cause Celebre'

1927- They were electricuted yet in 1980's Dukarkis pardoned them, however when the case was reopened it could prove that at least one of them was involved/ commited the crime

1917- Immigration Act- Barred immigrantsthat did not speak English

1924- Emergency Quota Act- Reduced immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe

1924- National Origins Act- Reduce quota to 2% of 1890 census

1929- Unnamed- Only 15,000 immigrants allowed each year- 85% from Northern and Western Europe

Can't just be blamed on Republicans as in 1917 it was a Democratic government. However in the year 1924 it saw two acts, this could be due to the influence of the KKK, as this was there height (1925)