What was the red scare of the 1920s?

Answer 1

a fear that communists and radicals were plotting revolution in the United States

There were actually two periods referred to as a "red scare."

1) Around the end of World War I (1917-1920), shortly after the communists took power in Russia, there was a scare in the United States that we had been infiltrated by Communist spies or Americans who supported Communism. The workers organizations in particular were involved in numerous strikes blamed on socialists. There were also anarchists involved in violent activities in the US.

The US attorney general attempted to round up and deport radical leftists in what were called the Palmer Raids. Innocent immigrants were mostly targeted because they were thought to be a threat to the American way of life. It was basically a time when 'Reds' (communists) were feared, and many suspected of this were exiled.

As late as 1940, the US Congress passed the Smith Act to prosecute socialists and political parties accused of undermining the government or advocating its overthrow.

2) After World War II (about 1947 to 1957), Americans again feared the influence of the USSR, especially since most of Eastern Europe, and China, had fallen under communist rule. Suggestions were made by Senator Joseph McCarthy and others that the US was being infiltrated by spies and undermined by communist sympathizers. Some claims turned out to be factual, while others were accusations and innuendo for political gain.

The separate investigations by the House Un-American Activities Committee sought to identify communist party members within the entertainment industry. This led to convictions of those who would not implicate others by their testimony, including the "Hollywood Ten." This was followed by studio "blacklists" as the film industry sought to counter negative public opinion and avoid Congressional interference in their businesses.