Hysterias begin where trust and friendships end. History shows that time and time again, people will lose trust in some of the most people because of ethnicity, race, or simple rumors. It starts, in America, with the witch hunts. After the hunting, random accusations would target certain groups because of worldwide events taking place or a simple way to get rid of humans. It eventually will target German Americans and German immigrants. This occurs when America and Germany declare war in World War 1. Americans without German background start to mistrust the Germans and who they are loyal to. When the news comes out that we could have “spies and traitors”, all hell breaks loose. The hysteria began before people ever realized that hysteria had
…show more content…
Almost instantaneously America put distrust on Germans. People of the government thought that German descent and immigrants were spies for Germany, loyalists of Germany, or traitors of America. There were unofficial branches made off of the Bureau of Investigation. This branch was known as the American Protective League. This branch was made of untrained volunteers, who were given a certificate and badge. Their mission was to look at German descents and immigrants and find the people who seemed suspicious. The president at the time, who was Woodrow Wilson, talked to the country stating that America shouldn’t trust the German descents or immigrants for they could be spies or traitors to the flag. He wanted the Germans to show their allegiance to America by singing patriotic songs, kissing the flag, buying war bonds, and making public statements of their loyalty. Germans would sometimes be gathered in large groups to do these things. The consequences of ignoring these actions could be from public humiliation to tar and feathering people. There was one case in the whole hysteria where someone was hung for asking to join the Workers’ Union. If you were to not say anything about the war or your beliefs were opposed against the war, you would have consequences (INTEXT CITATION). The Red Cross even got involved by not letting Germans help in fear that they will infect or poison the bandages used on patients. (INTEXT
Almost instantaneously America put distrust on Germans. People of the government thought that German descent and immigrants were spies for Germany, loyalists of Germany, or traitors of America. There were unofficial branches made off of the Bureau of Investigation. This branch was known as the American Protective League. This branch was made of untrained volunteers, who were given a certificate and badge. Their mission was to look at German descents and immigrants and find the people who seemed suspicious. The president at the time, who was Woodrow Wilson, talked to the country stating that America shouldn’t trust the German descents or immigrants for they could be spies or traitors to the flag. He wanted the Germans to show their allegiance to America by singing patriotic songs, kissing the flag, buying war bonds, and making public statements of their loyalty. Germans would sometimes be gathered in large groups to do these things. The consequences of ignoring these actions could be from public humiliation to tar and feathering people. There was one case in the whole hysteria where someone was hung for asking to join the Workers’ Union. If you were to not say anything about the war or your beliefs were opposed against the war, you would have consequences (INTEXT CITATION). The Red Cross even got involved by not letting Germans help in fear that they will infect or poison the bandages used on patients. (INTEXT