Seeing Reds : Federal Surveillance of Radicals in the Pittsburgh Mill District, 1917–1921

During World War I, the fear that German spies were operating in America justified the rapid growth of federal intelligence agencies. When that threat proved illusory, these agencies targeted anti-war and labour groups. This text details this period of domestic spying in the Pittsburgh region. During World War I, Fear That A Network Of German Spies Was Operating On American Soil Justified The Rapid Growth Of Federal Intelligence Agencies. When That Threat Proved Illusory, These Agencies, Heavily Staffed By Corporate Managers And Anti-union Private Detectives, Targeted Antiwar And Radical Labor Groups, Particularly The Socialist Party And The Industrial Workers Of The World. Seeing Reds, Based Largely On Case Files From The Bureau Of Investigation, Military Intelligence Division, And Office Of Naval Intelligence, Describes This Formative Period Of Federal Domestic Spying In The Pittsburgh Region. Mccormick Traces The Activities Of L.m. Wendell, A Bureau Of Investigation Special Employee Who Infiltrated The Iww's Pittsburgh Recruiting Branch And The Inner Circle Of Anarchist Agitator And Lawyer Jacob Margolis. Wendell And Other Pittsburgh-based Agents Spied On Radical Organizations From Erie, Pennsylvania, To Camp Lee, Virginia, Investigated Bomb Attacks On Public Officials, Intervened In The Steel And Coal Strikes Of 1919, And Carried Out The Palmer Raids Aimed At Mass Deportation Of Members Of The Union Of Russian Workers And The New Communist Party. Mccormick's Detailed History Uses Extensive Research To Add To Our Understanding Of The Security State, Cold War Ideology, Labor And Immigration History, And The Rise Of The Authoritarian American Left, As Well As The Career Paths Of Figures As Diverse As J. Edgar Hoover And William Z. Foster. The G-men : Virtue Made Visible (and Invisible) -- The World War I-era Pittsburgh Left -- Taming The Steel City Wobblies, 1917-1918 -- Excursions, Alarms, And Slackers Abroad : Extending The Range Of Surveillance, 1918 -- Bombs, A New Mission, And The Usual Suspects, 1919 -- The Great Strikes Of 1919 : Steel And Coal -- The Palmer Raids I : The Union Of Russian Workers, 1919 -- The Palmer Raids Ii : The Communists And The End Of The Red Scare, 1920-1921 -- Deporting Margolis, 1919-1921. Charles H. Mccormick. A John D.s. And Aida C. Truxall Book. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 207-238) And Index. During World War I, fear that a network of German spies was operating on American soil justified the rapid growth of federal intelligence agencies. When that threat proved illusory, these agencies, heavily staffed by corporate managers and anti-union private detectives, targeted antiwar and radical labor groups, particularly the Socialist party and the Industrial Workers of the World. Seeing Reds, based largely on case files from the Bureau of Investigation, Military Intelligence Division, and Office of Naval Intelligence, describes this formative period of federal domestic spying in the Pittsburgh region. McCormick traces the activities of L. M. Wendell, a Bureau of Investigation "special employee" who infiltrated the IWW's Pittsburgh recruiting branch and the inner circle of anarchist agitator and lawyer Jacob Margolis. Wendell and other Pittsburgh-based agents spied on radical organizations from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Camp Lee, Virginia, investigated bomb attacks on public officials, intervened in the steel and coal strikes of 1919, and carried out the Palmer raids aimed at mass deportation of members of the Union of Russian Workers and the new Communist Party. McCormick's detailed history uses extensive research to add to our understanding of the security state, cold war ideology, labor and immigration history, and the rise of the authoritarian American Left, as well as the career paths of figures as diverse as J. Edgar Hoover and William Z. Foster. During World War I, fear that a network of German spies was operating on American soil justified the rapid growth of federal intelligence agencies. When that threat proved illusory, these agencies, staffed heavily by corporate managers and anti-union private detectives, targeted antiwar and radical labor groups, particularly the Socialist party and the Industrial Workers of the World.Seeing Reds, based largely on case files from the Bureau of Investigation, Military Intelligence Division, and Office of Naval Intelligence, describes this formative period of federal domestic spying in the Pittsburgh region. McCormick traces the activities of L. M. Wendell, a Bureau of Investigation'special employee'who infiltrated the IWW's Pittsburgh recruiting branch and the inner circle of anarchist agitator and lawyer Jacob Margolis. Wendell and other Pittsbugh based agents spied on radical organizations from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Camp Lee, Virginia, intervened in the steel and coal strikes of 1919, and carried out the Palmer raids aimed at mass deportation of members of the Union of Russian Workers and the New Communist Party.McCormick's detailed history uses extensive research to add to our understanding of the security state, cold war ideology, labor and immigration history, and the rise of the authoritarian American Left, as well as the career paths of figures as diverse as J. Edgar Hoover and William Z. Foster. Based largely on case files from the Bureau of Investigation, Military Intelligence Division, and Office of Naval Intelligence, describes the formative period of domestic spying on the Industrial Workers of the World, the Socialist Party, and other antiwar and radical labor groups in the Pittsburgh mill region during World War I. Infiltration of the IWW and intervention in the steel and coal strikes of 1919 are documented, and the story of the Palmer raids, aimed at mass deportations of radicals, is told. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.