20-1 Americans Struggle with Postwar Issues

After World War I, many Americans feared the Communists would take over the country. 1.How did the Justice Department under A. Mitchell Palmer respond to the fear? Palmer launched raids against suspected communists, socialists and anarchists Arrested, jailed and deported suspected radicals He warned that there was a communist plot to overthrow U.S. government on May 1, 1920

2. Why Did Palmer eventually lose his standing with the American public? Palmer looked foolish when the Communists didn’t overthrow the U.S. government on May 1, 1920 as he predicted.

3. How did the Ku-Klux-Klan respond to this fear of a Communist take-over Hate in America grew from threatening black Americans (as seen after the Civil War) to include Jews, Catholics, and all foreigners/immigrants, union members and intellectuals.

4. Why did the Klan eventually lose popularity and membership? Racial violence by Klan members and attempts to influence national and state politics turned many Americans against them.

Public opinion turned against labor unions as many Americans came to believe that unions encouraged communism. 5. Why was the strike by Boston police unpopular with the public? The strike threatened public safety and appeared to be an act of communism or anarchism (anti-government)

6.Why did Massachusetts governor, Calvin Coolidge, become so popular? Coolidge called in the National Guard to restore order, leading to the end of the strike.

7. Why was the strike at U.S. Steel unpopular People believed the propaganda linking the strikers and their union leaders to communism Violence broke out which alarmed the public who were ignorant of the severe working conditions in the mills.

How did President Wilson respond to the strike? Wilson made a written plea for peace between the strikers and the steel companies.

Sacco and Vanzetti Immigrant anarchists accused and convicted of robbery and murder They were given the electric chair Little, to no evidence, of their guilt was provided at their trial They were denied their civil liberties and they became victims of the Red Scare.

John L. Lewis Labor leader: President of the United Mine Workers of America On November 1919, he called the first major coal union strike, as 400,000 miners walked off their jobs. President Wilson obtained an injunction, which Lewis obeyed, telling the rank and file, "We cannot fight the Government."