1920s Honors Homework

1. The Red Scare, the fear of communism, spread quickly when the revolution in Russia happened. Vladimir L. Lenin took over conquering with the Red Army and created the Soviet Union. When communism took over the U.S.S.R, some Americans were frightened while others began to form Communist Parties within the U.S. As the Communist parties grew violent, in 1919, a plan was created in which bombs were mailed to government officials. One of the attacked, A. Mitchell Palmer, became a main advocate against anti-communists (Anticommunism). Using the wartime laws he arrested thousands of suspected participators in the communist movement. Five legally elected officials were barred and right to call an overthrow of government was suspended in New York. Immigrants, or otherwise referred to as aliens, were deported as soon as they were suspected as a person involved in communist affairs. In one year, 1919-1929, two hundred forty-nine immigrants from Russia were deported without cause (The Red Scare). Due to the poverty among European immigrant workers, communism was found a favorable option among the people. When labor strikes began the government played them off as immigrants favoring communist ways. In another event, suspected anarchist’s homes were broken into without search warrants by the federal officials of the United States. The 1921 law limited immigrants from other countries and created three percent quotas (Nativism). Americans turned to suspect immigrants and racism against immigrants flourished. Keeping the “American race” alive and maintaining superiority became an important way of life.

2.
Prohibition did not work as alcohol remained a popular leisure activity among the citizens. This law forced many average men to break laws to obtain alcohol. In addition, with a loophole in which medical alcohol was legal, many prescriptions for alcohol were written. For almost fourteen years, 1920 to 1933, the United States outlawed alcohol, leading to the only