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In the early 1920s paranoia spread about the alleged potential national threat of certain recent immigrants and radicals. It was said that these people had political ideas that went against the conventional American values of democracy and capitalism. This period was known as the Red Scare.

The development of the Red Scare

Following are the key developments of the Red Scare and the impacts they had on American fears:

• World War One - The war increased nationalistic feeling, which often created xenophobia. A culture developed of perceiving immigrants as a threat.
• The Russian Revolution of 1917 - In Russia the Bolshevik political party, whose members believed in communism, successfully overthrew the government. This was followed by a civil war between the communist Red Army and the anti-communist White Army. Some countries, including America, were concerned about the spread of communism and sent troops to support the White Army. Many feared that immigrants from Russia, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe intended to overthrow the government in America. This is why the period was known as the Red Scare.
• Labour strikes - The post-World War One economic slump made tensions between employers and trade unions worse. From 1919, industrial unrest increased and several strikes occurred, including a general strike in Seattle. This industrial unrest was viewed as other example of political radicalism. It contributed to fears that radicals were plotting a revolution.
• Anarchist violence - There was a deep fear of anarchists in America as some used extreme violence as part of their politics. In 1901 President William McKinley was shot dead by an anarchist.

The Palmer Raids

The widespread fear of political radicals increased in 1919 when anarchists sent bombs to leading political figures. Several of the bombs were intercepted before they could do any harm, but some bombs did explode. In 1920, on Wall Street, New York, a bomb killed 38 people. No one was found guilty of this attack but the fear of communism and anarchism rose after the event.

The home of the US Attorney General, A Mitchell Palmer, was bombed in July 1919. Palmer claimed that there were many communists already in America and even a few in Congress. In response, the government became determined to get rid of communists and anarchists in America.

A series of harsh raids against suspected political radicals and organisations led to thousands of people being arrested without trial. Hundreds of political radicals, such as the anarchist Emma Goldman, were deported. Goldman had immigrated to the USA in 1885, but her speeches and writings went against conventional American values and political ideals. She was sent back to Russia in late 1919.

The Sacco and Vanzetti case

The political paranoia created by the Palmer Raids showed intolerance and abuses of power in US democracy.

Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian-born anarchists. They were charged with robbery and murder. During their trial in May 1921, the evidence presented against them was weak. Both said they were innocent and their defence team had 107 witnesses who had seen them somewhere else at the time of their alleged crime. However, Judge Webster Thayer said that although Vanzetti may not have actually committed the crime, he was "nevertheless morally culpable, because he is the enemy of our existing institutions".

Even with limited evidence, the jury found Sacco and Vanzetti guilty and sentenced them to death. There were widespread protests against the verdict, including in the UK. In 1925, another man, Celestino Madeiros, admitted to the crime. However, in 1927 Sacco and Vanzetti were given the death penalty.