Palmer Raids (1919–1920)

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PALMER RAIDS (1919–1920)

In the aftermath of world war i and the Russian Revolution, waves of European immigration aggravated domestic inflation and unemployment. labor strikes, often violent, were rampant, and the Communist party was organized.

Under pressure from the press and the public, woodrow wilson's attorney general, a. mitchell palmer, conducted a series of raids between autumn 1919 and spring 1920 against the homes and offices of suspected aliens and radical leaders. The raids were conducted without arrest warrants or search warrants, and those detained were denied the right to habeas corpus. Several thousand persons were detained, and over 500 alien radicals were deported.

Dennis J. Mahoney
(1986)

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Palmer Raids (1919–1920)

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