The first Red Scare was brought on by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia during the year of 1917. This revolution, led by Lenin, caused Russian workers to revolt. Eventually, the Bolsheviks murdered Czar Nicholas’ whole family and ended up taking control of the entire nation of Russia 1. After all of that happened, back in America, the country started reacting badly to the communism. The Attorney General to President Wilson at the time was Mitchell Palmer. He began to conduct raids on people in the government who he thought was suspicious and could be communist or a threat to American security. He even went so far as to deporting hundreds of Russians out of the country 2. In 1920, federal agents broke into the homes of people that were suspicious to them without any warrants, and held them against their will and refused to give them lawyers 3. This is the extent to the terror that gripped the United States at the time of the Red Scare. The Red Scare paved way to a witch hunt for anybody who didn't bleed red white and blue.
The way that people reacted to the red scare was hysteria. Everyone feared a communist takeover, but the thought of it took over their minds and their lives. It has been rumored that the media is the cause of the fear. Federal employees were constantly being questioned to see if they were being loyal to the country and tensions elevated 4. The reason why Americans feared the growth of communism so much is because there were more and more strikes happening by people in labor unions and people were willing to risk their jobs for a greater cause. They not only wanted things like better pay and shorter work hours, but started demanding that the government control private industries 5. People were often times put in jail for saying things that didn't want to be heard. Innocent people were stripped of their civil liberties such as freedom of speech because they didn't want anything that could contribute to the takeover of communism 6. Many people called “Leftists” were thrown in jail for no reason, simply because they didn't agree with the democratic view of the country 7. J. Edgar Hoover was a key player in the Red Scare. He was appointed as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, otherwise known as the FBI. He was in charge of the roundups of people suspected to partake in communism and was responsible for deporting them out of the country. Later on he even investigated in people that seemed suspicious and didn't fit into his ideals of what an American should be. He even went to such extremes such as having people use illegal tactics in order to get information. He had spies everywhere, even in the Supreme Court. 8
1 US History, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/47a.asp.
2 Ibid
3 Ibid
4 History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/red-scare.
5 VOA Learn English, "Fear of Communism in 1920 Threatens Civil Rights." Last modified 08 12, 2010. Accessed November 13, 2013. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/americas-fear-of-communism-in-1920-becomes-a-threat-to-rights-111561904/116001.html.
6 Burnett, Paul. UMKC, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013.http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/saccov/redscare.html.
7 VOA Learn English, "America's Fear of Communism in 1920 Becomes a Threat to Rights." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/165.html.
8 History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/j-edgar-hoover-begins-his-legacy-with-the-fbi.
Burnett, Paul. UMKC, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013.
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/saccov/redscare.html.
History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013.
http://www.history.com/topics/red-scare.
History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/j-edgar-hoover-begins-
his-legacy-with-the-fbi.
US History, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/47a.asp.
The way that people reacted to the red scare was hysteria. Everyone feared a communist takeover, but the thought of it took over their minds and their lives. It has been rumored that the media is the cause of the fear. Federal employees were constantly being questioned to see if they were being loyal to the country and tensions elevated 4. The reason why Americans feared the growth of communism so much is because there were more and more strikes happening by people in labor unions and people were willing to risk their jobs for a greater cause. They not only wanted things like better pay and shorter work hours, but started demanding that the government control private industries 5. People were often times put in jail for saying things that didn't want to be heard. Innocent people were stripped of their civil liberties such as freedom of speech because they didn't want anything that could contribute to the takeover of communism 6. Many people called “Leftists” were thrown in jail for no reason, simply because they didn't agree with the democratic view of the country 7. J. Edgar Hoover was a key player in the Red Scare. He was appointed as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, otherwise known as the FBI. He was in charge of the roundups of people suspected to partake in communism and was responsible for deporting them out of the country. Later on he even investigated in people that seemed suspicious and didn't fit into his ideals of what an American should be. He even went to such extremes such as having people use illegal tactics in order to get information. He had spies everywhere, even in the Supreme Court. 8
1 US History, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/47a.asp.
2 Ibid
3 Ibid
4 History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/red-scare.
5 VOA Learn English, "Fear of Communism in 1920 Threatens Civil Rights." Last modified 08 12, 2010. Accessed November 13, 2013. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/americas-fear-of-communism-in-1920-becomes-a-threat-to-rights-111561904/116001.html.
6 Burnett, Paul. UMKC, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013.http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/saccov/redscare.html.
7 VOA Learn English, "America's Fear of Communism in 1920 Becomes a Threat to Rights." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/165.html.
8 History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/j-edgar-hoover-begins-his-legacy-with-the-fbi.
Burnett, Paul. UMKC, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013.
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/saccov/redscare.html.
History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013.
http://www.history.com/topics/red-scare.
History, "History.com." Accessed November 13, 2013.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/j-edgar-hoover-begins-
his-legacy-with-the-fbi.
US History, "The Red Scare." Accessed November 13, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/47a.asp.