flawed response from the US Government. America’s initial response towards the anarchists was that they were not a serious enough threat, due them being a small group and the sporadic nature of the terrorist attacks that they orchestrated. Despite pioneering effective terrorism which is still being used today, their size resulted in many regarding them to be an inconsistent threat. They also garnered free publicity through their tours of America, taking advantage of the fact they could exercise their free speech and that the US citizens would listen following the economic issues that preceded the winter of 1907 to 1908. It could be argued that the anti-capitalist mentality could have been managed more effectively by the US government if they abandoned their laissez faire approach towards the economy and addressed the issues the working class faced within America. However, the approach that the US government took made people more suspectable to sympathise with the anarchist propaganda, illustrating why terrorism was such a prevalent force at time. America began the period of 1906 to 1920, largely overlooking the significance of the anarchist threat. Yet, as the period continued, and radical propaganda grew in popularity, the terrorist threat that was present and paranoia which surrounded it, only escalated. Following World War One and the numerous terror attacks aimed at preventing US involvement in the conflict, it is unsurprising that the national resentment established against Europe had transformed into the Red Scare. This resulted in America fearing any foreign interaction and involvement within the nation, culminating in a flawed response that violated the constitution to overcome the radical threat that they perceived to be widespread within the United States. Ultimately, it was America’s failure to seriously respond to the terrorist threat until 1917, that allowed terrorism to remain a prevalent force. America’s initial isolationism and lack of central police organisations made it more difficult to identify terrorists that belonged to radical groups such as the Galleanists and charge them. The failure to adequately respond to the issues at hand and the emphasis America placed on free speech resulted in terrorism to continue without many consequences and in turn culminate in a panicked response in 1919 to 1920. If America treated the threat of terrorism with the seriousness it required at the start of the period 1906 to 1920 and established a more effective system which identified and prevented radicals groups from spreading their propaganda, then terrorism would not have remained such a prevalent force during this time.
Bibliography Colson, Dan, ‘Erasing Anarchism: Sacco and Vanzetti and the Logic of Representation’, American Quarterly , 66.4 (2014), 943-969
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