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The Red Scare in 1920s America

I can explain what the Red Scare was and its impact on Americans.

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Lesson 4 of 30
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  • AQA

The Red Scare in 1920s America

I can explain what the Red Scare was and its impact on Americans.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There was an increase in anti-immigrant feeling in the 1920s.
  2. Some Americans were frightened of a communist revolution.
  3. Strikes in 1919 led to fear of a revolution.
  4. The Palmer Raids targeted suspected communists and anarchists.
  5. Trade unionism declined significantly after the Red Scare.

Keywords

  • Paranoid - somebody may be described as paranoid if they are unreasonably or excessively scared of something

  • Communist - a communist is a person who believes in sharing wealth equally

  • Anarchist - an anarchist is a person who believes that countries should not be ruled by organised governments

  • Deported - if a foreign person is legally forced to leave a country they have been deported

Common misconception

There were well-developed plans for anarchists and communists to stage a revolution in the USA.

Although the fear of 'Reds' was widespread, the failure of the Palmer Raids revealed that there were no real plans in place for a revolution which could threaten the USA.

Study the full speech of Seattle Mayor Ole Hanson delivered after the end of the 1919 Seattle General Strike. Ask pupils why Hanson believed strikes were a danger. Then ask pupils how this speech could have contributed to the decline of trade union activity in the USA after 1919.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word is most appropriate to describe a person who is excessively and unreasonably scared of something?

confident
Correct answer: paranoid
trusting
worried

Q2.
Why were the 1920s often called 'boom years' in the USA?

Every individual in the USA became richer.
There was lots of terrorism.
Correct answer: The USA experienced high levels of economic growth.
The USA was fighting in the First World War.

Q3.
Write the missing word. Most immigrants arriving in the USA by 1919 came from eastern and Europe.

Correct Answer: southern, south

Q4.
Write the missing word. Because many immigrants have historically moved to the USA, it has often been called the land of .

Correct Answer: opportunity, Opportunity

Q5.
Starting with the earliest step, arrange the following developments to explain how car manufacturing developed in the USA during the 1920s economy.

1 - cars like the Ford Model T mass produced
2 - cars prices fell
3 - car ownership increased as more people afford cars
4 - demand for new roads
5 - extra jobs and income generated in the construction industry

Q6.
Which statement about the US government in the 1920s is most accurate?

The government did little to help businesses make profits.
Correct answer: The government removed regulations to help businesses make profits.
The government increased regulations to improve the treatment of workers.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each of the keywords with their correct definition.

Correct Answer:anarchist,person who does not believe organised governments should run countries

person who does not believe organised governments should run countries

Correct Answer:communist,person who believes in sharing wealth equally

person who believes in sharing wealth equally

Correct Answer:strike,period of time when workers refuse to work

period of time when workers refuse to work

Q2.
Which country experienced a communist revolution in 1917?

Britain
Germany
Correct answer: Russia
USA

Q3.
Write the missing word. The Raids in 1919 and 1920 led to the arrest of 6000 suspected communists and anarchists.

Correct Answer: Palmer, palmer

Q4.
During the trial of Niccola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in 1921, who described them as 'our enemy' and used racist terms against them?

a leading American newspaper
the government lawyer
the jury
Correct answer: the judge

Q5.
Why did trade union membership decline after 1920?

Correct answer: many people suspected trade unions were associated with communism
trade unions offered no benefits for workers who joined them
trade unions were outlawed by the US government after 1920

Q6.
The Palmer Raids uncovered four guns and no explosives. Based on this, which conclusion is most valid?

the Palmer Raids revealed a genuine communist and anarchist threat of revolution
Correct answer: the Palmer Raids were mostly motivated by paranoia
he Palmer Raids did not take place on a large enough scale to be effectivet

Lesson appears in

UnitHistory / America 1920–1973, Opportunity and inequality

AQAHistory

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