The Red Scare was the widespread, overwhelming fear that communists were trying to overthrow the American government in the early 1920’s. The recent end of World War I and the Russian revolutions, along with various other communist revolutions around the world helped promote their paranoia. This paranoia led to those in power at the time taking advantage of the people’s frantic state and exploiting their rights and freedoms. They did this simply to further their own agenda, even though many claimed otherwise. They knew that there was no real, sizable threat to the US so they used the situation to their advantage. Many created fake threats to try and trick others into promoting their cause and giving them more money. They would hire actors to
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Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the war were being let go at a time with only one month’s worth of support given to them. They came home to no jobs and with no means to support themselves or their families, they were forced to reconstruct every aspect of their lives and find new ways to live. The some 4,000,000 men who were demobilized and shipped back home to the US were left unemployed which hurt not only them and their families but the entire American economy. Prices began to spiral out of control and the purchasing power of the dollar had shrunk from 100 to 45. The inflation was severe, the cost of food increased 84 percent, furniture increased 125 percent, clothing increased 114.5 percent, and the average cost of living for a family increased 99 percent. Only the rich were truly able to withstand such pressure, even those few with steady jobs and salaries struggled to balance their income with the rising price of living. The problems caused to the economy by the abrupt demobilization of the American troops however was not the only element to help launch the United States into the Red Scare. The recent rise of communist issues also played a role in setting the stage for national …show more content…
It also affected very fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of speech. Many materials were subjected to censorship during this time. Not just newspaper, propaganda, and public advertisements, but also items such as recreational and school books. Children’s school books and textbooks were censored, restricting their education. One source explains, “School textbooks were censored, and those who wished to take certain jobs were often required to to sign oaths of their loyalty to the U.S. government.” In relation to this another account said, “The American flag became a sacred symbol. Legionaries demanded that citizens “Run the Reds out from the land whose flag they sully.” Men suspected of radical leanings were forced to kiss the stars and stripes.” These accounts show just how far people were willing to take the situation. They used force and went around the law to do what they at the time saw as justified to protect their lives, government, and nation as a whole. They were willing to strip away people’s rights and degrade them while under a false fear of a communist
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the war were being let go at a time with only one month’s worth of support given to them. They came home to no jobs and with no means to support themselves or their families, they were forced to reconstruct every aspect of their lives and find new ways to live. The some 4,000,000 men who were demobilized and shipped back home to the US were left unemployed which hurt not only them and their families but the entire American economy. Prices began to spiral out of control and the purchasing power of the dollar had shrunk from 100 to 45. The inflation was severe, the cost of food increased 84 percent, furniture increased 125 percent, clothing increased 114.5 percent, and the average cost of living for a family increased 99 percent. Only the rich were truly able to withstand such pressure, even those few with steady jobs and salaries struggled to balance their income with the rising price of living. The problems caused to the economy by the abrupt demobilization of the American troops however was not the only element to help launch the United States into the Red Scare. The recent rise of communist issues also played a role in setting the stage for national …show more content…
It also affected very fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of speech. Many materials were subjected to censorship during this time. Not just newspaper, propaganda, and public advertisements, but also items such as recreational and school books. Children’s school books and textbooks were censored, restricting their education. One source explains, “School textbooks were censored, and those who wished to take certain jobs were often required to to sign oaths of their loyalty to the U.S. government.” In relation to this another account said, “The American flag became a sacred symbol. Legionaries demanded that citizens “Run the Reds out from the land whose flag they sully.” Men suspected of radical leanings were forced to kiss the stars and stripes.” These accounts show just how far people were willing to take the situation. They used force and went around the law to do what they at the time saw as justified to protect their lives, government, and nation as a whole. They were willing to strip away people’s rights and degrade them while under a false fear of a communist