The Red Scare

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The Red Scare

Introduction

Red Scare is a term used to remember the terror and insecurity which stormed through the United States around the periods of First and Second World War. Throughout the twentieth century, manifestation of Communists within its borders concerned United States. The resultant activities led to federal actions against foreigners referred to as aliens. An environment of paranoia clouded the whole country and a series of events took place that played a vital role in building the American history.

First Red Scare

Matthew Mooney quotes that the Russians had suffered frightful hardships during the World War, and a small group of Revolutionaries called Bolsheviks fascinated many Russians. The First Red Scare started right after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and ended in 1920. The racism filled storm came with attacks on labor, radical witch hunts and insistence on following hundred percent 'Americanism'.

Bombings in United States

Shirelle Phelps and Jeffrey Lehman explained about Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who was an adversary of foreign subversives and wanted to become president. Anti-Communism in U.S. was the main theme of his campaign; however, this campaign started a rash of unsolved bombings that further fanned the flames of fanaticism and wrath.

Matthew Mooney states that in the summer of 1919, influential Americans got bombs through mails. Eight bombs went off in eight different cities on June 2; one of these bombs exploded outside the Attorney General's home.

Palmer's Raids and Downfall

As stated by John Resch, during the year 1919, drastic periodicals that advocated violent defeat of Capitalism got printed. In response, Palmer decided to reinforce a law passed in 1918, known as the Sedition Act, which declared criticizing the government or constitution either by speech or writing as a crime.

Shirelle Phelps and Jeffrey Lehman write that Palmer introduced the Radical Division of the Justice Department and along ...