Americans Struggle with Postwar Issues

After World War I, many Americans feared that Communists would take over the country.

1. How did the Justice Department under A. Mitchell Palmer respond to this fear?
He responded to the fear that communists would take over the country by attempting to hunt down all the communists and anarchists. He was not successful in doing this.
2. Why did Palmer eventually lose his standing with the American public?
Palmer eventually lost his standing with the public because he was not getting any results, and people began to suspect that he was doing it for his own personal reasons.
3. How did the Ku Klux Klan respond to this fear?
The Klu Klux Klan responded to this fear by killing pretty much anybody that wasnt similar to them.
4. Why did the Klan eventually lose popularity and membership?
They lost popularity and membership because they were undergoing in criminal activities and people did not like it.
5. Briefly describe how Sacco and Vanzetti became victims of the Red Scare.
They were victimized in a trial by a prejudiced judge because a factory paymaster was robbed by two italian men. They provided information that they were innocent but were still sentenced to death.


Public opinion turned against labor unions as many Americans came to believe that unions encouraged communism.

6. Why was the strike by Boston police unpopular with the public?
The strike by the Boston Police was unpopular with the public because they felt unsafe without the police force protecting them.
7. Why did Massachusetts governor Calvin Coolidge become so popular?
Calvin Coolidge became popular because he stopped the Boston police strike and so he was viewed as the protector of Boston. They also thought that he was stopping the spread of Communism.
8. Why was the strike at U.S. Steel unpopular?
The strike at U.S. Steel unpopular because the strikers were portrayed as communists and they were unusually violent.
9. How did President Wilson respond to the steel strike?
President Wilson responded to the steel strike by stating that strikers should refrain from violence when the nation is trying to refrain from going into war.