America 1920s : Red scare Flashcards
Why were people fleeing to America ?
To escape poverty in Italy
To escape persecution in eastern Europe
What was “melting pot theory” ?
All immigrants would forget there culture and turn into Americans
What is a “red scare” ?
Fear of people bringing radical ideas like communism into their very capitalist country
What happened to the people with radical political ideas ?
Arrested on flimsy evidence, mostly immigrants
Who was blamed for these purges ?
J Edgar Hoover
Palmer ( a young clerk for Hoover)
How many suspects did Hoover have?
60,000
How many people did Hoover threaten to deport ?
1919 - 10,000
When did Palmer think a revolution would happen and it didn’t ?
May 1920
How many of the allegations proved to have some truth ?
556 / 60,000
Why were Sacco and Vanzetti arrested ?
suspicion of armed robbery and murder
Why were Sacco and Vanzetti unpopular with the government?
Immigrants and anarchists who disagreed with the American system
What did the judge call Sacco and Vanzetti?
“Those anarchist bastards”
How long did it take Sacco and Vanzetti to get their sentence?
6 years of appeals
What was Sacco and Vanzetti’s sentence ?
Execution - 1927
What was the result of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti ?
A storm of protests globally calling the trail unjust
