5 – The First Red Scare
For the sake of accuracy, the First Red Scare actually began in 1917, but it reached its peak, and its climax, in 1920. It marked a period of widespread panic against the perceived threat of Bolshevism and anarchism. Although it was based on some real fears such as the rise of anarchist bombings and the Russian Revolution, there was also an unhealthy dose of hysteria. The First Red Scare really began with the overthrow of the Russian Royal Family in 1917 and their subsequent murder.
The Red Scare reached its height in 1919 and 1920 as the end of World War I had brought about strong anti-immigrant feelings along with heightened nationalism. Those who returned from the war often found unemployment hard to come by while those who were employed joined labor unions. The resultant labor strikes, as workers tried to gain better pay and employment conditions, only heightened the fear that radicals were in the process of starting a revolution.
There were several high-profile bombings in 1919 as anarchists tried to cause havoc. The U.S. Government responded by launching mass raids on the headquarters of radical organizations. On January 2, 1920, an estimated 4,000-6,000 radicals were arrested around the country. In reality, the legality of these arrests is open for debate, but such was the fear of communism that hardly anyone outside of the Communists complained. Attorney General Palmer warned the government that there was a plot against up to 20 state and federal officials on May Day 1920 as part of a plan to overthrow the government.
With the backing of Palmer, J. Edgar Hoover ordered the mobilization of the police forces in the country as they expected the worst on May 1. The police in New York City worked for 32 straight hours in preparation. In the end, nothing happened, and Palmer became a national joke. It didn’t take long for the anti-Communist hysteria to die down but it wasn’t quite the end of the anarchist movement in the United States.