American History Question (1920s)

Question

The year is 1919. One of Marty’s friends, Sasha, who is from Russia is being targeted because of the Red Scare. Marty’s other friends ostracize Sasha and don’t want him to hang out with their group of friends any longer because of the threat of the Red Scare. Marty, however, really wants to remain friends with Sasha, but if he does, he may be at risk for the authorities coming after him with the Palmer Raids. How can Marty protect himself from the authorities but still remain friends with Sasha? Explain your response. 

Answer 1

It partially depends on what state Marty lives in and if Marty is a war veteran or not. If Marty is a returning WWI veteran, he is free to associate with Sasha, as no one is going to question the patriotism of a returning WWI doughboy who has just defeated the Kaiser. He can protect and take Sasha openly under his wing as a friend and vouch for him. Vigilante committee groups never last long nor gain too much of a foothold in American society and the Palmer Raids were a very short-lived thing. In 1919 the population of America was 105 million people, and the entire Palmer Raid series only scooped up a total of 3000 people. Your chances of being picked up in a Palmer Raid were only 1 in 35,000 then, so I think most people most of the time were quite safe to associate with anyone they pleased without fear of being picked up. This was especially so if you lived west of the Mississippi where the Red Scare carried very little weight or meaning with people.