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Race Riots
The Communist Party supported the opressed races, and even organized the race riots, therefore leading to more American fear that with the support of the opressed races, the Communists would squash the democracy of America. -
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"red" vs. "white"
These terms were coined during the Russian Civil War, and the whites were people who opposed communism while the reds supported communism. This increased people's fear, because, obviously, the Red Scare is named the "Red" Scare because the term lasted. -
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"red menace"
This was a precursor to the Red Scare, it was a small outbreak of fear that eventually lead to the outbreak of nationwide American fear. During the "red menace" some people had the fear that the communists were going to invade. Some took the "red menace" to the extreme and a fairly popular paper was started. -
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Anarchists/communists/immigrants
During the 1900s, there was a rising amount of disputes between the laborers and management. Anarchists, communists, and immigrants were often blamed when these diagreements erupted into violence, leading to more fear towards those groups and that they were trying to undermine society. -
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World was established in Chicago, in 1905, by members of the socialist-led Western Federation of Miners and other groups opposed to what they saw as "class collaboration" by the American Federation of Labor (A.F.L.). The driving force behind the I.W.W. was William D. Haywood, the leader of the Western Federation of Miners, which had established a reputation for work stoppages in Colorado mines. -
Jane Addams
In 1915, Jane Addams participated in the International Congress of Women rally trying to stop World War I with the Women’s Peace Party, later becoming the Women`s International League for Peace and Freedom, which she founded. She worked towards peace between powers. She set up Hull House in Chicago to help immigrants. Along with 62 others, she was tracked by the government for being “dangerous, destructive, and anarchistic sentiments” and specifically because she voiced her criticisms of the war -
Espionage Act
Law passed by Congress making it illegal to mail anything "advocating or urging treason, insurrection, or forcible resistance." Eugene Debs was imprisoned for violating this law in the court case Debs v. United States. -
Boston Police Strike
When the Boston Police went on strike on September 9, the country's leading newspapers sounded the alarm bells. Some falsely reported that gangs were running wild and attacking women throughout the city. Others saw it as evidence of the spread of communism. In actuality, the strike prompted a lot of property damage but did not seriously endanger the safety of the community-partly due to the quick response of the government. -
Bolsheviks
Bolsheviks is a member of the wing of the Russian-Social Democratic Workers' Party. This particular party is led by Lenin, who seized control of the Russian government in 1917. So the group orginated at the partys second congress Lenins followers won a temporary majority on the on the party's central committee and on the editoral board of its newspaper Iskra. The Bolsheviks were a very centralized, disciplined, professional party. -
Sedition Act
A law passed by Congress forbidding anything "disloyal, profane, scurrilous or abusive" either spoken or written. It is an example of the encroachment on civil liberties and was perceived as a threat to civilians. -
Charles A. Beard
Charles A. Beard was a historian tracked by the U.S Government like Jane Addams because he suggested that the Founding Fathers had been motivated by profit in their actions. He claimed that the Constitution was a devise to keep power in the hands of the rich. -
Lillian Wald
Lillian Wald was a noted public health provider pioneer and advocate for immigrants campaigned for socialist candidates and associated with left-wing radicals such as Emma Goldman as a result she was tracked by the U.S. Government along with Goldman and Beard. -
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A. Mitchell Palmer
Alexander Mitchell Palmer served as U.S. attorney general from 1919 to 1921. Palmer, who also served as a congressman and federal judge, became a controversial figure for rounding up thousands of Aliens in 1920 that he considered to be politically subversive. These "Palmer raids" violated basic civil liberties and ultimately discredited Palmer. -
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Palmer Raids
Palmer Raids, also called Palmer Red Raids, raids conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1919 and 1920 in an attempt to arrest foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists, many of whom were subsequently deported. The raids, fueled by social unrest following World War I, were led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer and are viewed as the climax of that era’s so-called Red Scare. -
Schenck
Was a case brought up to the Supreme Court, where a socialist, during WW1 handed out pamphlets saying the draft was unconstitutional to draftees. The pamphlets promoted the petition of the draft. This increased fear of socialists in America, because the decesion was that the socialists were trying to undermine the social order of America by creating these pamphlets. -
Communist/socialists
On September 1, 1919, the Communist Party in the US was formed. This increased the fear that communists would take over America now that they had an organized party and could gain support because of that. -
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The Great Steel Strike
With the ending of World War I in November 1918, many celebrating steelworkers expected their substantial wartime gains to continue. The First World War had provided American steel workers an unprecedented opportunity to improve their wages and work conditions. -
Deportation and the Soviet Ark
In fear of communist takeover, the U.S Government deported 249 people on the Buford, or named by media and civilians, the Soviet Ark. It sailed from New York to Russia on December 21st 1919. 199 of the 249 people were detained in the Palmer Raids and 184 of the 249 were members of the Union of Russian Workers. Political leaders such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were on board as well due to their inciting of riots and interference with military recruitment. -
Emma Goldman
Emma Goldman was known for her fiery political activism, writings and speeches. She was in and out of jail then finally on December 21st, 1919 she was deported on the Buford for being a socialist, anarchist, labor agitator and “inciting riot.” -
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Soviet Union
The Soviet Union set up communist governments in Eastern Europe after the war. Both force and polotics wereused to keep things running smoothly. The Soviet Union kept control be using puppet governments. These governments did whatever the Soviet leaders said. -
Seattle Dock Strike
This was a bloody conflict, and although some US Marines walked out with the workers, the US government supported the employers fully and blamed the conflict on the anarchists trying to undermine society and create anarchy in the country. -
HUAC
The House Committee on Un-American Activities was meant to look into suspect cases of subversion and disloyalty to the U.S. It specifically focused on communism outside of the government. -
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Holleywood Blacklists
Hollywood Blacklists involved denying employment to screenwriters, directors, and other entertainment professionals based on suspected political beliefs, especially those associated with communism. -
Loyal Security Program
Executive order from Presidemt Truman that permitted officials to investigate any employee of the federal government for "subversive" activities. State and local governments, businesses, and similar groups followed Truman's lead. The guidelines for such actions were vague, and so many innocent people were dismissed from employment. -
Executive Order #9835
Executive Order #9835 was the first loyalty program in U.S. which was designed to root out communist influence within the U.S. Government. -
Soviets Detonate Atomic Bomb
The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb to measure the effects of the blast. America discovered that the Soviets had nuclear weapons, and three months later Klaus Fuchs (man who helped the US build its first atomic bombs) was arrested for passing information about atomic bombs to the Soviets. Fuchs' epsionage backed up the Red Scare. -
The People's Republic of China is Formed
The People's Republic of China was established under Mao Zedong, who led the Communist forces in China against the Nationalist forces (Jiang Jieshi). The US aided Jiang's army, but refused to intervene militarily, and so cut that aid off. Mao aligned himself with Stalin, adding to the percentage of communist- controled European land (backed up the Red Scare). -
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Joseph McCarthy
In 1950, Joseph McCarthy publicly declared that 205 communists had infiltrated the U.S. State department. 1952, McCarthy became the chairmen of the Senate's Committee on Government Operations. For two years he delt performed anti- communist investigations, & his harsh tactics were labeled as "McCarthyism". McCarthyism could also refer to the Red Scare itself. -
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Domino Theory
The Domino Theory was most prominent in the 1950s through the 1980s and controlled foreign policy in the US at the time. The Domino Theory stated that communist victory in one country would lead to other countries surrounding the communist country to become communist. The government used this theory to justify the Vietnam War. -
The Korean War
Conflicts arose between North Korea, allied with the Soviets, and South Korea, backed by America. In the end, the original line between the two held. -
Dennis v. US
Dennis and other petitioners were previously convicted for willfully conspiring to form the Communist Party of the US, a group whose members advocated the overthrow of the US. The Smith Act, which made it a criminal offence for one to plan the overthrowing of the US government, was upheld, & it was determined that the government could limit free speech in such cases. -
Rosenbergs Trial
Juilus and Ethel Rosenberg were the first US civilians executed for espionage. Media followed the trial, and there was some speculation that media played too strong of a role in the final verdict, along with too much caution caused by the Red Scare.