which attorney general investigated the red scare (1919-20)

by Adrain Hodkiewicz 10 min read

A. Mitchell Palmer, in full Alexander Mitchell Palmer
Alexander Mitchell Palmer
Alexander Mitchell Palmer (May 4, 1872 – May 11, 1936), was an American attorney and politician who served as the 50th United States attorney general from 1919 to 1921. He is best known for overseeing the Palmer Raids during the Red Scare of 1919–20.
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, (born May 4, 1872, Moosehead, Pennsylvania, U.S.
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, 326 Indian reservations, and some minor possessions.
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—died May 11, 1936, Washington, D.C.), American lawyer, legislator, and U.S. attorney general (1919–21) whose highly publicized campaigns against suspected radicals touched off the so-called Red Scare of 1919–20.

Who was Attorney General during the Red Scare?

Aug 06, 2013 · A. Mitchell Palmer was the Attorney General of the United States during the First Red Scare. He was newly appointed in 1919, and therefore targeted as an important political leader by radicals.

What was the Red Scare of 1919-20?

Labor strikes, including the Boston Police Strike in September 1919, contributed to fears that radicals intended to spark a revolution; Self-proclaimed anarchists' mailing bombs to prominent Americans, including United States Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer and United States Supreme Court Associate Justice (and former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief …

What did a Mitchell Palmer do in the Red Scare?

In the United States, the First Red Scare was about worker (socialist) revolution and political radicalism. A Mitchell Palmer. Attorney General of the United States from 1919 to 1921. He is best known for overseeing the Palmer Raids during the Red Scare of 1919-20.

Who was the Attorney General in 1919?

These bombings fueled the Red Scare of 1919-20. In April 1919 a series of attempted mail bombs were sent to several prominent politicians. Among the 36 total mail-bomb targets were J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, a Bureau of Investigation agent, Congressional sponsors of the anti-anarchist legislation, and Attorney General Palmer …

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Who was the attorney general that led the Red Scare raids in 1919?

The raids and arrests occurred under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, with 3,000 arrested.

Who was Woodrow Wilson attorney general?

Palmer became attorney general under President Woodrow Wilson in 1919.

What was attorney general Mitchell Palmer Palmer Raids known for doing?

Mitchell Palmer. Alexander Mitchell Palmer (1872–1936), a lawyer, politician, and attorney general of the United States after World War I, is remembered for directing the notorious “Palmer raids,” a series of mass roundups and arrests by federal agents of radicals and political dissenters suspected of subversion.

Which attorney general created a Red Scare in 1920 by arresting 5000 suspected communists and anarchists who were held without trial and denied their basic civil rights?

Attorney General A. Mitchell PalmerPalmer raids were a series of violent and abusive law-enforcement raids directed at leftist radicals and anarchists in 1919 and 1920, beginning during a period of unrest known as the “Red Summer.” Named after Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, with assistance from J.Feb 1, 2018

What did attorney general A Mitchell Palmer believe that he needed to protect the American people from?

Palmer believed that communism was “eating its way into the homes of the American workman.” Palmer charged in this 1920 essay that communism was an imminent threat and explained why Bolsheviks had to be deported.

What was the main reason Americans were upset by the Palmer Raids of 1919 and 1920?

Terms in this set (10) What was the main reason Americans were upset by the Palmer Raids of 1919 and 1920? The raids ignored people's civil liberties. Which event contributed to the rise of anti-immigrant, anti-socialist, and anti-anarchist feelings in the United States in the years during and just after World War I?

What was Eugene Debs accused of?

On June 16, 1918 Debs made an anti-war speech in Canton, Ohio, protesting US involvement in World War I. He was arrested under the Espionage Act of 1917 and convicted, sentenced to serve ten years in prison and to be disenfranchised for life.

Why did attorney general Palmer launch a series of raids against suspected communists?

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer launch a series of raids against suspected Communists? He believed that a Communist revolution was imminent in the United States, and he needed an issue on which to campaign for the 1920 Democratic presidential nomination.

How did the Palmer Raids violate the Constitution?

The raids were direct violations of First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of press. The raids also violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment, as many individuals were arrested and detained without warrants.Oct 8, 2014

What is the Red Scare of 1919?

At its height in 1919–1920, concerns over the effects of radical political agitation in American society and the alleged spread of communism and anarchism in the American labor movement fueled a general sense of concern.

What was the Red Scare?

A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. It is often characterized as political propaganda.

What happened during the Red Scare of the 1920s?

Enraged by the bombings, the United States government responded by raiding the headquarters of radical organizations and arresting thousands of suspected radicals. Several thousand who were aliens were deported. The largest raids occurred on January 2, 1920 when over 4000 suspected radicals were seized nationwide.

What was the Red Scare?

During the Red Scare of 1919-1920, many in the United States feared recent immigrants and dissidents, particularly those who embraced communist, socialist, or anarchist ideology. The causes of the Red Scare included: World War I, which led many to embrace strong nationalistic and anti-immigrant sympathies;

What were the causes of the Red Scare?

During the Red Scare of 1919-1920, many in the United States feared recent immigrants and dissidents, particularly those who embraced communist, socialist, or anarchist ideology. The causes of the Red Scare included: 1 World War I, which led many to embrace strong nationalistic and anti-immigrant sympathies; 2 The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, which led many to fear that immigrants, particularly from Russia, southern Europe, and eastern Europe, intended to overthrow the United States government; 3 The end of World War I, which caused production needs to decline and unemployment to rise. Many workers joined labor unions. Labor strikes, including the Boston Police Strike in September 1919, contributed to fears that radicals intended to spark a revolution; 4 Self-proclaimed anarchists' mailing bombs to prominent Americans, including United States Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer and United States Supreme Court Associate Justice (and former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice) Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

What is May Day?

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, was celebrated by many socialists, communists, anarchists, and unionists . The failure of these plots to materialize, coupled with increased criticism of the Palmer Raids, brought these raids to an end.

How many radicals were arrested in the 1920s?

The largest raids occurred on January 2, 1920 when over 4000 suspected radicals were seized nationwide. Over 800 were arrested in New England from locations that included Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Fitchburg, Lawrence, and Lynn.

How did the government respond to the bombings?

The government responds. Enraged by the bombings, the United States government responded by raiding the headquarters of radical organizations and arresting thousands of suspected radicals. Several thousand who were aliens were deported. The largest raids occurred on January 2, 1920 when over 4000 suspected radicals were seized nationwide.

When did the Sacco and Vanzetti plots happen?

On April 29, 1920, several days before the arrests of Sacco and Vanzetti, Attorney General Palmer warned the nation that the Department of Justice had uncovered plots against the lives of over twenty federal and state officials as part of planned May Day (May 1st) celebrations.

What was the Bolshevik Revolution?

The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, which led many to fear that immigrants, particularly from Russia, southern Europe, and eastern Europe, intended to overthrow the United States government; The end of World War I, which caused production needs to decline and unemployment to rise. Many workers joined labor unions.

Who was the 50th Attorney General of the United States?

Margaret Fallon Burrall. Education. Swarthmore College ( BA) Alexander Mitchell Palmer (May 4, 1872 – May 11, 1936), was an American attorney and politician who served as the 50th United States attorney general from 1919 to 1921. He is best known for overseeing the Palmer Raids during the Red Scare of 1919–20 .

When did Palmer start his raids?

Beginning in November 1919 , Palmer launched a series of raids that rounded up and deported numerous suspected radicals. Though the American public initially supported the raids, Palmer's raids earned backlash from civil rights activists and legal scholars.

What college did Palmer graduate from?

Palmer graduated from Swarthmore College in 1891. At Swarthmore, he was a member of the Pennsylvania Kappa chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. After graduation, he was appointed court stenographer of Pennsylvania's 43rd judicial district.

What role did Palmer play in the 1912 election?

At the 1912 Convention, he played a key role in holding the Pennsylvania delegation together in voting for Woodrow Wilson. Following the election of 1912, Palmer hoped to join Wilson's Cabinet as Attorney General. When he was offered Secretary of War instead, he declined citing his Quaker beliefs and heritage.

How many deportations did Freeland Post get?

Only the dismissal of most of the cases by Assistant Secretary of Labor Louis Freeland Post limited the number of deportations to 556. At a Cabinet meeting in April 1920, Palmer called on Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson to fire Post, but Wilson defended him.

What party was Palmer in?

He became a member of the Democratic Party and won election to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1909 to 1915. During World War I, he served as Alien Property Custodian, taking charge of the seizure of enemy property. Palmer became attorney general under President Woodrow Wilson in 1919.

What was the role of the Custodian of the United States?

A wartime agency, the Custodian had responsibility for the seizure, administration, and sometimes the sale of enemy property in the United States. Palmer's background in law and banking qualified him for the position, along with his party loyalty and intimate knowledge of political patronage.

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Overview

Progression of events

On January 21, 1919, 35,000 shipyard workers in Seattlewent on strike seeking wage increases. They appealed to the Seattle Central Labor Council for support from other unions and found widespread enthusiasm. Within two weeks, more than 100 local unions joined in a call on February 3 for general strike to begin on the morning of February 6. The 60,000 total strikers paralyzed the city's norma…

Origins

The First Red Scare's immediate cause was the increase in subversive actions of foreign and leftist elements in the United States, especially militant followers of Luigi Galleani, and in the attempts of the U.S. government to quell protest and gain favorable public views of America's entering World War I. At the end of the 19th century and prior to the rise of the Galleanist anarchist movement, the Haymarket affairof 1886 had already heightened the American public's fear of for…

Coverage

America's newspapers continually reinforced their readers' pro-American views and presented a negative attitude toward the Soviet Union and communism. They presented a threat of imminent conflict with the Soviet Union that would be justified by the clash with American ideals and goals.
In addition, when The New York Times reported positively about the Soviet Uni…

Legislation

In 1919 Kansas enacted a law titled "An act relating to the flag, standard or banner of Bolshevism, anarchy or radical socialism" in an attempt to punish the display of the most common symbol of radicalism, the red flag. Only Massachusetts (1913) and Rhode Island (1914) passed such "red flag laws" earlier. By 1920 they were joined by 24 more states. Some banned certain colors (red or black), or certain expressions ("indicating disloyalty or belief in anarchy" or "antagonistic to the e…

Demise

Within Attorney General Palmer's Justice Department, the General Intelligence Division (GID) headed by J. Edgar Hooverhad become a storehouse of information about radicals in America. It had infiltrated many organizations and, following the raids of November 1919 and January 1920, it had interrogated thousands of those arrested and read through boxes of publications and recor…

See also

• McCarthyism (also called the second Red Scare)
• American Jewish Anti-Bolshevism during the Russian Revolution
• Anti-Italianism
• Sinophobia

Further reading

• Gengarelly, W. Anthony. "Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson and the Red Scare, 1919-1920." Pennsylvania History (1980): 310-330. online
• Guariglia, Matthew. "Wrench in the Deportation Machine: Louis F. Post's Objection to Mechanized Red Scare Bureaucracy." Journal of American Ethnic History 38.1 (2018): 62-77.