What were the Palmer Raids?

The Palmer Raids were a series of raids conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1919 and 1920, under the direction of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer , with the goal of arresting and deporting foreign anarchists , communists, and radical leftists. These raids, which took place against the backdrop of the Red Scare following World War I, were triggered by fears of a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Palmer, who had his own presidential ambitions, used the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 to target political radicals and left-wing organizations, leading to mass arrests and deportations. However, the Palmer Raids were controversial due to their disregard for civil liberties and questionable constitutionality. As news of the brutality of the raids emerged and Palmer's predictions of a May Day revolution in 1920 failed to materialize, public opinion turned against him, ultimately discrediting Palmer and bringing an end to the raids.

When did the Palmer Raids take place?

The Palmer Raids, a series of controversial attempts to arrest and deport foreign anarchists , communists, and radical leftists in the United States, took place in 1919 and 1920. Spearheaded by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, the raids occurred amidst social unrest after World War I and are considered the climax of the Red Scare era. Fueled by fears of Bolshevik conspiracies, the Justice Department, under Palmer and J. Edgar Hoover, conducted raids exceeding the number of warrants obtained. Though Palmer declared the raids a success, his credibility waned as the public questioned the constitutionality and brutality of his tactics.

Who organized the Palmer Raids?

The Palmer Raids were organized by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in 1919 and 1920, with assistance from J. Edgar Hoover. Palmer, seeking to advance his presidential ambitions, aimed to establish himself as a law-and-order candidate by combating what he believed was a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. As special assistant to Palmer, Hoover oversaw the mass roundups and deportations of suspected Bolsheviks after World War I. The Palmer Raids were fueled by social unrest and fear of radical agitators following World War I.

Why did the U.S. government start the Palmer Raids?

Fueled by social unrest after World War I, the Palmer Raids were a series of U.S. Department of Justice raids in 1919 and 1920 to arrest and deport foreign anarchists , communists, and radical leftists. Several factors contributed to the sense of fear that drove the raids. Rampant inflation, unemployment, massive strikes, and race riots contributed to a sense of foreboding. A mail bomb plot in 1919 heightened fears of a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who had presidential ambitions, aimed to become known as a law-and-order candidate. Together with J. Edgar Hoover, Palmer created the General Intelligence Division in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to combat communism.

How were people targeted and treated during the Palmer Raids?

During the Palmer Raids, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in 1919-1920, the U.S. Department of Justice targeted foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists . Fueled by post-World War I social unrest and the Red Scare, these raids aimed to arrest and deport individuals deemed dangerous. Palmer Raids On January 2, 1920, thousands were arrested across more than 30 cities, often without proper warrants. Many arrestees were targeted for nothing more than having a foreign accent. While Palmer declared the raids a success, the brutality and questionable constitutionality of the actions led to a shift in public opinion, with groups like the National Civil Liberties Bureau challenging Palmer’s methods.

What were the effects and consequences of the Palmer Raids on American society?

The Palmer Raids, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer during 1919–1920, aimed to arrest and deport foreign anarchists , communists, and radical leftists amidst the post-World War I Red Scare. Fueled by fears of Bolshevik conspiracies, the raids resulted in thousands of arrests across more than 30 cities, often exceeding the number of warrants issued. The Palmer Raids led to the deportation of hundreds of immigrants and their families. However, the brutality and disregard for civil liberties sparked public outcry, with many questioning the constitutionality of Palmer's actions. Louis Post , the acting Secretary of Labor, reversed over 70% of deportation warrants. Palmer's failed prediction of a May Day revolution in 1920 further damaged his credibility, contributing to the decline of the Red Scare and the end of the Palmer Raids.

Palmer Raids

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Front page of The New Majority newspaper from January 10, 1920, with large headline reading Terrorism and a political cartoon showing a tombstone inscribed with free speech, free press, peaceful assemblage.

Quick Facts

Also called:: Palmer Red Raids

Date:: 1919 - 1920

Location:: United States

Context:: World War I; First Red Scare

Key People:: A. Mitchell Palmer

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Palmer Raids

United States history

Also known as: Palmer Red Raids

Written by

Gregory Dehler

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

What were the Palmer Raids?
The Palmer Raids were a series of raids conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1919 and 1920, under the direction of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, with the goal of arresting and deporting foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists.

These raids, which took place against the backdrop of the Red Scare following World War I, were triggered by fears of a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Palmer, who had his own presidential ambitions, used the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 to target political radicals and left-wing organizations, leading to mass arrests and deportations.

However, the Palmer Raids were controversial due to their disregard for civil liberties and questionable constitutionality. As news of the brutality of the raids emerged and Palmer's predictions of a May Day revolution in 1920 failed to materialize, public opinion turned against him, ultimately discrediting Palmer and bringing an end to the raids.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
When did the Palmer Raids take place?
The Palmer Raids, a series of controversial attempts to arrest and deport foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists in the United States, took place in 1919 and 1920. Spearheaded by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, the raids occurred amidst social unrest after World War I and are considered the climax of the Red Scare era.

Fueled by fears of Bolshevik conspiracies, the Justice Department, under Palmer and J. Edgar Hoover, conducted raids exceeding the number of warrants obtained. Though Palmer declared the raids a success, his credibility waned as the public questioned the constitutionality and brutality of his tactics.
2 Britannica Sources
1. A. Mitchell Palmer
2. Palmer Raids
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Who organized the Palmer Raids?
The Palmer Raids were organized by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in 1919 and 1920, with assistance from J. Edgar Hoover. Palmer, seeking to advance his presidential ambitions, aimed to establish himself as a law-and-order candidate by combating what he believed was a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. As special assistant to Palmer, Hoover oversaw the mass roundups and deportations of suspected Bolsheviks after World War I. The Palmer Raids were fueled by social unrest and fear of radical agitators following World War I.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why did the U.S. government start the Palmer Raids?
Fueled by social unrest after World War I, the Palmer Raids were a series of U.S. Department of Justice raids in 1919 and 1920 to arrest and deport foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists.

Several factors contributed to the sense of fear that drove the raids. Rampant inflation, unemployment, massive strikes, and race riots contributed to a sense of foreboding. A mail bomb plot in 1919 heightened fears of a Bolshevik conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government.

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who had presidential ambitions, aimed to become known as a law-and-order candidate. Together with J. Edgar Hoover, Palmer created the General Intelligence Division in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to combat communism.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How were people targeted and treated during the Palmer Raids?
During the Palmer Raids, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in 1919-1920, the U.S. Department of Justice targeted foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists. Fueled by post-World War I social unrest and the Red Scare, these raids aimed to arrest and deport individuals deemed dangerous. Palmer Raids On January 2, 1920, thousands were arrested across more than 30 cities, often without proper warrants. Many arrestees were targeted for nothing more than having a foreign accent.

While Palmer declared the raids a success, the brutality and questionable constitutionality of the actions led to a shift in public opinion, with groups like the National Civil Liberties Bureau challenging Palmer’s methods.
1 Britannica Source
1. Palmer Raids
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What were the effects and consequences of the Palmer Raids on American society?
The Palmer Raids, led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer during 1919–1920, aimed to arrest and deport foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists amidst the post-World War I Red Scare.

Fueled by fears of Bolshevik conspiracies, the raids resulted in thousands of arrests across more than 30 cities, often exceeding the number of warrants issued. The Palmer Raids led to the deportation of hundreds of immigrants and their families.

However, the brutality and disregard for civil liberties sparked public outcry, with many questioning the constitutionality of Palmer's actions. Louis Post, the acting Secretary of Labor, reversed over 70% of deportation warrants. Palmer's failed prediction of a May Day revolution in 1920 further damaged his credibility, contributing to the decline of the Red Scare and the end of the Palmer Raids.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Palmer Raids, raids conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1919 and 1920 in an attempt to arrest foreign anarchists, communists, and radical leftists, many of whom were subsequently deported. The raids, fueled by social unrest following World War I, were led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer and are viewed as the climax of that era’s so-called Red Scare.

The emotional pitch of World War I did not abate with the armistice, and rampant inflation, unemployment, massive and violent strikes, and brutal race riots in the United States (most notably the Chicago Race Riot of 1919) contributed to a sense of fear and foreboding in 1919. A mail bomb plot, consisting of 36 explosive packages designed to go off on May Day, 1919, triggered a grave fear that a Bolshevik conspiracy sought the overthrow of the United States. On June 2, 1919, a second series of bombings took place, destroying Palmer’s home and leading to increased public pressure for action against the radical agitators.

Palmer was a latecomer to the anticommunist cause and had a history of supporting civil liberties. However, he was ambitious to obtain the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1920 and believed that he could establish himself as the law-and-order candidate. Together with J. Edgar Hoover, Palmer created the General Intelligence Division in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and secured an increase in funds from Congress to devote to anticommunist activities by the Justice Department.

On November 7, 1919 (the second anniversary of the Bolshevik takeover of Russia), U.S. federal and local authorities raided the headquarters of the Union of Russian Workers in New York City and arrested more than 200 individuals. On November 25 a second raid on the Union of Russian Workers headquarters unveiled a false wall and a bomb factory, confirming suspicions that the union harboured revolutionary intentions. Palmer believed that the way to deal with the radicals was to deport the immigrants. On December 21, 249 radicals, including anarchist Emma Goldman, were packed aboard the USS Buford, which the press dubbed the Soviet Ark, and deported to Russia. On January 2, 1920, the most spectacular of the Palmer Raids took place, when thousands of individuals (estimates vary between 3,000 and 10,000) were arrested in more than 30 cities. The following day, federal, state, and local agents conducted further raids. In all the Palmer Raids, arrests greatly exceeded the number of warrants that had been obtained from the courts, and many of those arrested were guilty of nothing more than having a foreign accent.

Palmer declared the raids a success but announced that the work was far from done. He claimed that there were still more than 300,000 dangerous communists inside the United States. Local authorities lacked the facilities to hold the arrestees from the January raids, and Palmer sent a large number of suspected radicals to the Bureau of Immigration for deportation. Acting Secretary of Labor Louis Post, however, did not share Palmer’s fear of radical aliens and reversed more than 70 percent of the 1,600 deportation warrants.

Palmer RaidsFront page of the Chicago Federation of Labor's newspaper, *The New Majority*, January 10, 1920, featuring an article that describes the Palmer Raids as terrorism.

Meantime, American public opinion shifted under Palmer’s feet. As news of the brutality of the raids became public and the constitutionality of the actions was brought into question, many, including the National Civil Liberties Bureau, publicly challenged Palmer’s actions. Palmer’s unfulfilled dire predictions of a May Day 1920 revolution destroyed his credibility with the public, diminishing the Red Scare and ending the Palmer Raids.

Gregory Dehler

Palmer Raids

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