The Red Scare/palmer raids
Worried by the Russian Revolution, Palmer became convinced that Communist supporters were planning to overthrow the American government. His view was further reinforced by the discovery of thirty-eight bombs sent to politicians and the Italian anarchist who blew himself up outside Palmer's home in Washington. Palmer recruited John Edgar Hoover as his special assistant and together they used the Espionage Act and Sedition Act to launch a campaign against radicals and socialist organizations. The vast majority was eventually released with the exception of 247 other people who were deported to Russia. On January 2, 1920, another 6,000 were arrested and held without trial. These raids took place in several cities and became known as the Palmer Raids. When Palmer announced that the Communist revolution was likely to take place on May 1st, mass panic took over.