During the early 1920’s, The United States was plagued by the fear of Bolshevism. In 1917 Russia dropped out of WW1 due to civil unrest it was facing at home. This civil unrest would later manifest itself into what would be known as the Bolshevik Revolution. Fear of what had happened in Russia had caused a fear of what would become of America during a period known as the Red Scare. So the question is how the strikes during The Red Scare changed the American culture.
On January of 1919, there was a walkout of shipyard workers in Seattle in which eventually led to a general strike. “In all, approximately 35000 men were out of work – 24,300 in the metal yards 3250 in wooden yards, and the remainder in allied trades”[i]. During the five days, it was implied through newspapers that the unions were trying to push for a “Bolshevik Revolution”. After a few days, the strike eventually lost momentum as people ended up giving up. When it was all over, headlines all over the country were saying “Seattle had been saved, that the revolution had been broken”. The mayor of Seattle named Ole Hanson was described as the “man who had singlehandedly crush a Bolshevik revolution”[ii]. In 1919, Boston’s police force was demanding better working conditions and better wages. In 1919 however, The United States was still recovering from the First World War. It was estimated that “From 1913 to May of 1919. The cost of living had risen by 76 percent, while police wages had risen just 18 percent”[iii]. By June 1919, the police had considered unionization only for police commissioner Edwin Upton Curtis to deny them rights. This had caused the police to go on strike. During the strike, Boston was experiencing chaos as “rocks were thrown at streetcars; street carts were turned over, followed by a frenzy of looting”[iv]. Governor Coolidge responded by sending out several thousand s of State Guards and later “fired the entire police force”[v]. A ledger in Philadelphia stated "Bolshevism in the United States is no longer a specter. Boston in chaos reveals its sinister substance”[vi]. In September of 1919, workers of the steel industry went on strike. Though it had seemed the strike was successful at first seeing as it united about 365000 mostly immigrant workers in demands for “eight-hour day, a six-day workweek and the right to organize without being harassed”[vii]. Various problems with the workers having to deal with local police and also unsympathetic public ultimately brought an end to the strike in 1920. It was also said that many of the native-born strikers returned to work, and “conducted a propaganda campaign that associated the strikers with the IWW, communism, and disloyalty”[viii].
During the Red Scare, the working class themselves were willing to fight for what they wanted. For years they were the ones to get pushed around, they were the ones who were considered expendable. When they saw Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution and how many got what they wanted they decided they should try and do the same thing. However in the public’s eyes, they were just seen as communist.
[i] Friedheim, Robert L. The Seattle General Strike., Seattle, University of Washington Press, 1964. Pg. 75
[ii] Friedheim, Robert L. The Seattle General Strike. Pg. 146-147
[iii] Farmer, Brian. "The Boston Police Strike of 1919." The New American 27, no. 14 (Jul 18, 2011): 36-40. http://search.proquest.com/docview/880567953?accountid=10351.
[iv] Same as iii
[v] Forner, Eric. Give Me Liberty: An American History. 2nd. 2. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.,2012 748-749. Print.
[vi] Same as iii
[vii] Pusey, A.. The great steel strike of 1919. ABA Journal, 98, 72. (2012,09) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1039134821?accountid=10351
[viii] Same as iii
On January of 1919, there was a walkout of shipyard workers in Seattle in which eventually led to a general strike. “In all, approximately 35000 men were out of work – 24,300 in the metal yards 3250 in wooden yards, and the remainder in allied trades”[i]. During the five days, it was implied through newspapers that the unions were trying to push for a “Bolshevik Revolution”. After a few days, the strike eventually lost momentum as people ended up giving up. When it was all over, headlines all over the country were saying “Seattle had been saved, that the revolution had been broken”. The mayor of Seattle named Ole Hanson was described as the “man who had singlehandedly crush a Bolshevik revolution”[ii]. In 1919, Boston’s police force was demanding better working conditions and better wages. In 1919 however, The United States was still recovering from the First World War. It was estimated that “From 1913 to May of 1919. The cost of living had risen by 76 percent, while police wages had risen just 18 percent”[iii]. By June 1919, the police had considered unionization only for police commissioner Edwin Upton Curtis to deny them rights. This had caused the police to go on strike. During the strike, Boston was experiencing chaos as “rocks were thrown at streetcars; street carts were turned over, followed by a frenzy of looting”[iv]. Governor Coolidge responded by sending out several thousand s of State Guards and later “fired the entire police force”[v]. A ledger in Philadelphia stated "Bolshevism in the United States is no longer a specter. Boston in chaos reveals its sinister substance”[vi]. In September of 1919, workers of the steel industry went on strike. Though it had seemed the strike was successful at first seeing as it united about 365000 mostly immigrant workers in demands for “eight-hour day, a six-day workweek and the right to organize without being harassed”[vii]. Various problems with the workers having to deal with local police and also unsympathetic public ultimately brought an end to the strike in 1920. It was also said that many of the native-born strikers returned to work, and “conducted a propaganda campaign that associated the strikers with the IWW, communism, and disloyalty”[viii].
During the Red Scare, the working class themselves were willing to fight for what they wanted. For years they were the ones to get pushed around, they were the ones who were considered expendable. When they saw Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution and how many got what they wanted they decided they should try and do the same thing. However in the public’s eyes, they were just seen as communist.
[i] Friedheim, Robert L. The Seattle General Strike., Seattle, University of Washington Press, 1964. Pg. 75
[ii] Friedheim, Robert L. The Seattle General Strike. Pg. 146-147
[iii] Farmer, Brian. "The Boston Police Strike of 1919." The New American 27, no. 14 (Jul 18, 2011): 36-40. http://search.proquest.com/docview/880567953?accountid=10351.
[iv] Same as iii
[v] Forner, Eric. Give Me Liberty: An American History. 2nd. 2. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.,2012 748-749. Print.
[vi] Same as iii
[vii] Pusey, A.. The great steel strike of 1919. ABA Journal, 98, 72. (2012,09) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1039134821?accountid=10351
[viii] Same as iii