Rethinking the Red Scare : The Lusk Committee and New York's Crusade Against Radicalism, 1919-1923

ISBN-13: 9780415947671 / Angielski / Twarda / 2003 / 192 str.

Todd J. Pfannestiel;Pfannestiel Tod

Opis

Using New York as a lens, this book examines the Red Scare that gripped America between 1919 and 1923, and the pattern it established for future episodes of political repression. It also presents the first in-depth study of the Soviet Bureau, the unofficial Bolshevik embassy that attempted to establish commercial ties with American businessmen, as well as the development of the Rand School as one of the nation's first working class oriented schools. The Lusk Committee, established to investigate the threat posed by radicals, first utilised physical raids and arrests to harass the Soviet Bureau. As public criticism of their strong-arm tactics grew, the committee used ineffectual public hearings and judicial proceedings to tackle its next target, the Rand School. Eventually, the committee resorted to legislation to combat the greatest threat, public school teachers suspected of radical leanings. The shifting of targets and tactics reflected two forces at work: the effort to perfect methods of political repression, and changing perceptions of civil liberties. The question of which force weighed more heavily is explored throughout the book. Was America becoming a society genuinely tole

Recenzje

"The book contains useful appendices on the firms wanting to explore business possibilities with the Soviet Union and on the lecturers and courses of the Rand School." -- American Communist History

Spis treści

1. The Underlying Causes of the Red Scare 2. The Formation of the Lusk Committee 3. The Origins and Operations of the Soviet Bureau 4. Reactions From Businessmen and the Lusk Committee 5. The Rand School vs. The Lusk Committee 6. From the Courtroom to the Legislature Conclusion Appendices Bibliography

O autorze

Todd J. Pfannestiel