Glossary
A. Mitchell Palmer
The U.S. Attorney General who orchestrated the Palmer Raids during the First Red Scare, driven by a strong anti-radical stance.
Example:
A. Mitchell Palmer became a controversial figure for his zealous pursuit of suspected subversives, often overriding constitutional protections.
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
A federal law that prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States, making it the first law to restrict immigration based on nationality.
Example:
Even decades before the 1920s, the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) demonstrated a long-standing pattern of nativist sentiment against Asian immigrants.
Emergency Quota Act (1922)
The first federal law in the United States to impose numerical limits on immigration, setting quotas based on the nationality of immigrants already residing in the country.
Example:
The Emergency Quota Act (1922) marked a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, moving away from open borders towards restriction.
Emma Goldman
A prominent anarchist political activist and writer who was deported from the United States during the Palmer Raids due to her radical views.
Example:
Emma Goldman's deportation symbolized the government's intolerance for dissenting political ideologies during the Red Scare.
First Red Scare
A period of intense anti-communist hysteria in the United States following World War I, fueled by fears of radicalism and anarchism.
Example:
During the First Red Scare, many Americans feared that labor strikes were secretly orchestrated by communist revolutionaries aiming to overthrow the government.
Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan (1907)
An informal agreement between the United States and Japan where Japan agreed to limit the emigration of its citizens to the U.S., and the U.S. agreed not to impose formal immigration restrictions.
Example:
The Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan (1907) was an attempt to reduce Japanese immigration without explicitly passing discriminatory laws, though it still reflected anti-Asian sentiment.
Immigration Act of 1917 (Asiatic Barred Zone)
A comprehensive immigration law that created an 'Asiatic Barred Zone,' effectively prohibiting immigration from most of Asia, and also required a literacy test for all adult immigrants.
Example:
The Immigration Act of 1917 (Asiatic Barred Zone) further solidified the exclusion of Asian immigrants, building upon previous discriminatory policies.
J. Edgar Hoover
The first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who played a significant role in the Palmer Raids and later became a powerful figure in American law enforcement.
Example:
As a young official, J. Edgar Hoover helped compile lists of suspected radicals during the Red Scare, laying the groundwork for his long career in intelligence.
National Origins Act of 1924
A highly restrictive immigration law that further reduced immigration quotas and established a system favoring immigrants from Western and Northern Europe, while severely limiting those from Southern and Eastern Europe and banning Asian immigration.
Example:
The National Origins Act of 1924 dramatically reshaped the demographic makeup of future immigrant waves to the United States.
Nativism
A political ideology promoting the interests of native-born inhabitants over those of immigrants, often leading to anti-immigrant sentiment and policies.
Example:
The rise of nativism in the 1920s contributed to widespread public support for stricter immigration quotas.
Palmer Raids
A series of aggressive government raids and arrests conducted in 1919 and 1920, targeting suspected radicals, anarchists, and communists in the United States.
Example:
The Palmer Raids led to the deportation of hundreds of immigrants without due process, highlighting a severe crackdown on civil liberties.
Sacco & Vanzetti
Two Italian immigrant anarchists who were controversially convicted of robbery and murder in 1920 and executed in 1927, becoming a symbol of nativist and anti-radical injustice.
Example:
The trial and execution of Sacco & Vanzetti sparked international protests, with many believing they were condemned more for their political beliefs and immigrant status than for concrete evidence.