Palmer Raids and the Red Scare

Causes

• Fear of communism fueled by the Russian Revolution, immigrant radicals, and widespread labor unrest in ​1919, including ​3,600 strikes​ (e.g., Seattle general strike involving ​100,000​ workers).

• In April 1919, 40 mail bombs addressed to important politicians and industrialists were found by the postal service and in June, 8 cities experienced bomb attacks including one outside the house of A. Palmer

The Palmer Raids

• Led by Attorney General ​A. Mitchell Palmer​ and ​J. Edgar Hoover

• General Intelligence Division was set up under John Edgar Hoover.

• It spied on radical groups

• ​​First major raid:​​ November 7, 1919, on the ​Union of Russian Workers.

• ​Peak:​​ January 2, 1920, raids across ​33 cities.

Consequences

• ​Thousands arrested; around ​600 radicals deported.

• Harsh detention conditions (e.g., deaths from cold on ​Deer Island).

• Increased public support for ​immigration restrictions.

• Weakened the ​trade union movement​ due to communist associations.

• Scare faded by ​mid-1920​ after Palmer's predicted May Day violence failed to materialize.

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