RED SCARE! The Palmer Raids and Civil Liberties (HOT Curriculum)

RED SCARE!

The Palmer Raids and Civil Liberties

16. Racial intolerance, anti-immigrant attitudes, and the Red Scare contributed to social unrest after World War I.

Match

Match the following

• Agitator

• alien

• anarchist

• paranoia

• sedition

someone who stirs up the public feeling over controversial issues

someone from another country

someone who rebels against authority, established order, or ruling power

excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others

conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of the state

• someone who stirs up the public feeling over controversial issues

• someone from another country

• someone who rebels against authority, established order, or ruling power

• excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others

• conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of the state

Open Ended

What is one way that the communist system of government is different from the form of government found in the United States?

Vocabulary

DISINTEGRATION - THE BREAKING UP OF THE COMPONENT PARTS OF A SUBSTANCE; DECAY

Open Ended

Why might middle class and wealthy Americans have had different attitudes about labor strikes than the workers who were striking?

Open Ended

What is the message of this political cartoon?

Open Ended

How might Americans have linked the bombing of the Attorney General of the United States to the ideas expressed in the political cartoon from the previous slide?

Open Ended

What are 3 activities made illegal by this law?

Open Ended

What do all three of these crimes have in common?

Poll

Is it possible for someone to engage in these prohibited activities and not be a traitor to the United States of America?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

Rephrase the First Amendment in your own words.

Open Ended

How might the Sedition Act have violated the rights of the First Amendment?

Open Ended

In your opinion, when, if ever, does the government have the right to suppress speech and nullify the First Amendment?

Open Ended

According to Palmer, who was working with the communists in America against the government?

Multiple Choice

How many communists does Palmer claim were working to overthrow the government?

• 60,000

• 250

• 6 million

• He isn't certain

Open Ended

Does the author appear to have positive or negative feelings about the subject of this cartoon?

Open Ended

How do you think this cartoon might have influenced the decision to drastically decrease immigration to the United States in 1924?

​ASSESSMENT

In order to demonstrate your understanding of the events surrounding the post-WWI Red Scare, you will write a short newspaper editorial. Image the date is January 24, 1920. The Red Scare is at its height. The nation is filled with the fear that "alien" subversives are plotting against the United States government and every day Attorney General Palmer is arresting people he suspects of planning a violent revolution against the government. Some Americans, however, have begun to argue that arresting people who have done nothing more than simply criticize the government is unconstitutional and dangerous. How would you respond? Follow this link to create your editorial explaining why you support or oppose the actions of Attorney General Palmer. When you are done, download your article and paste it into this assignment. Finally, mark this "done' in Classroom.

Open Ended

Paste your newspaper article here.