Portside

Political Violence, Way Back When (1919), A Very Catchy Ditty (1949), Death With Dignity (1994), A Very Important Conference, I Think (1984), When Ernie Met Bert (1969), A Very Big Win for Militant Musicians (1944), Apartheid Must Go! (1974)

A hundred years ago, the Palmer Raids imperilled thousands of immigrants. Then a wily official got in the way.

Pre-1920 were tumultuous times: World War I, the Bolshevik revolution, Espionage and Sedition Acts; Race Riots in Chicago, returning African American veterans defending their communities against white mobs, mass deportations of foreign born, the Great Influenza Pandemic; UMW Coal Strike and the Great Steel Strike, mass economic inequality. The Palmer raids of 1920 capped an era. The Chicago Police and State's Attorney couldn't wait and began the raids a day early ...