Download The Red Scare

The Red Scare
1920’s Learning Unit
Mrs. Deming
The Red Scare
 Political violence helped fuel the Red Scare of the
1920’s
 Russian Revolution
 Schenk vs. United States
 American fears
 Palmer Raids
 Sacco and Vanzetti
Russian Revolution
 Russian Czar Nicholas II lost popularity due
to involvement in World War I; devastating
casualties and food shortages
 Vladimir Lenin promises “peace, land and
bread”
 Took over government and control of all farms,
industries, land and transportation
 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics formed
(USSR)
Communism
 Communism becomes the official ideology
(thoughts, way of living, etc.)
 Components of Communism:
 1. Government owned all land and property
 2. single political party in control
 3. Needs of country a priority over the needs of
the individual
 4. “classless” society
Pros and Cons of Communism
PROS
CONS
 1.
 1.
 2.
 2.
 3.
 3.
American Fears
 Communism spreading to the United
States
 Restriction of immigrants into the
country
 “Red Scare”—Red the symbol for the
USSR; intense fear of communism
and other politically radical ideas
Schenk vs. United States
 Letters were mailed to men who were
drafted urging them not to report for duty
 Broke the Espionage Act—wartime law
aimed at spies and those who opposed the
war
 Freedom of Speech?
 Silenced when there is a “clear and present
danger” ex. Fire!
Palmer Raids
 Bombings of US official A. Mitchell Palmer—
creates a fear!
 Convinced that radicals were conspiring to
overthrow the government
 Set up raids and arrests of “suspected”
targets
 Movement failed due to inconsistent
findings…
Sacco and Vanzetti
 Two Italian immigrants who were anarchists
 Arrested for robbery; found with weapons on them
 Tried and found guilty
 Many felt they were “profiled” instead of guilty
 Sentenced to death by electric chair