Important+People

By the end of World War I, mounting fear of "Reds" or communists spread into the US. People feared that Bolshevism would spread from Russia to the US through radical agents. This fear was also held by the Justice Department during the Wilson Administraion. Attorney General Palmer headed the Justice Department during 1919 to 1920 during the Red Scare. He headed what were known as the Palmer raids aimed at "Reds" who were mainly radicals, immigants, and striking workers. Palmer expressed fears in his "Case Against the Reds" when he said, "In place of the United States Government we should have the horror and terrorism of bolsheviki tyranny such as is destroying Russia now. Every scrap of radical literature demands the overthrow of our existing government" (Palmer). Palmer retired at the end of the Wilson administration and started a private law firm.
 * [[image:palmer.jpg width="127" height="189" align="right"]]A. Mitchell Palmer**

Hoover first began his career in the Justice Department. He quickly rose to head of the department's General Intelligence Division, and became a special assistant to A. Mitchell Palmer in November 1918. As Palmer's assistant, he directed many of the Palmer Raids, although they were not named after him. By the end of the Red Scare, the General Intelligence Division became what is known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 * J. Edgar Hoover**

Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants, anarchists, and athiests. They had a history of violent protest and were members of the Socialist Party. This was not a good combination to be during the Red Scare. After the murder of a paymaster and guard and robbery at Slater & Morill Shoe Factory, Sacco and Vanzetti seemed to be likely suspects. They were first put on trial for robbery. Witnesses described the gunmen as "foreign," and federal officials supplied evidence for the trial. The judge and prosecution, were biased against foreigners, and witnesses who supported Sacco and Vanzetti were discounted because they were Italian. They next went on trial for murder; the same judgend prosecution presided. This time, however, Sacco and Vanzetti were represented by a lawyer from the Indusrial Workers of the World. Unable to refute prosecution, he attempted to demonstrate the political inspiration behind the case. Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted of murder on July 14, 1921 despite questionable evidence. This put the case in the public spotlight as people signed petitions for a new trial. Eight motions for a new trial were opened, however these were dened when the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that no errors of law had been made. Sacco and Vanzetti were sentenced to death on April 9, 1927.
 * [[image:sacco_and_vanzetti.jpg width="357" height="232" align="left"]]Sacco and Vanzetti**

As a radical socialist and editor of //The Revolt//, Tom Mooney had a history of carrying dynamite. He was tried and acquitted for the dynamiting of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. However, when a bomb went off killing several people, Tom Mooney was just blocks away. Tom Mooney, Rena Mooney, Warren K. Billings, and Edward D. Noland were arrested for the event. Although Billings and Mooney were the only two found guilty, Billings was sentenced to life imprisonment, and Mooney was sentenced to death. Soon after, however, evidence surfaced that the testimoney against Mooney and Billings had been perjured; and Mooney's death sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life. Tom Mooney and Warren Billings were released from jail in 1939, and eventually both were pardoned.
 * Tom Mooney**

Also known as "Red Emma," was a radical anarchist and public speaker. During World War I, she organized a group to help men avoid the draft. Because of these efforts, she was sentenced to two years in jail under the Espionage Act. She was released in 1919, and was again an outspoken radical. During the Palmer Raids, she was among hundreds of radicals that were deported to the Soviet Union aboard the U.S.S. Buford. Initially sympathetic toward the Soviets, her support soon fell after she saw the suppression of political dissent. She left the Soviet Union in 1921 and published //My Disillusionmen in Russia//.
 * Emma Goldman**