---
title: "First Red Scare — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "The First Red Scare (1917-1920) was America's panic over communism after the Bolshevik Revolution, fueling the Palmer Raids, deportations, and 1920s immigration quotas."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/first-red-scare"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP US History"
unit: "Unit 7"
---

# First Red Scare — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

The First Red Scare (1917-1920) was a nationwide panic over communism and radicalism, sparked by the Bolshevik Revolution and postwar labor strikes, that led to the Palmer Raids, mass deportations of immigrants, and a crackdown on civil liberties after World War I.

## What It Is

The First Red Scare was the wave of anti-communist and anti-radical hysteria that gripped the United States from roughly 1917 to 1920. Two things lit the fuse. First, the [Bolshevik Revolution](/apush/key-terms/bolshevik-revolution "fv-autolink") in Russia (1917) made communism look like a real, exportable threat. Second, a massive wave of [postwar](/apush/unit-8/context-us-as-global-leader/study-guide/gQBcPKrfySmr9qtQziHd "fv-autolink") labor strikes in 1919 convinced many Americans that revolution might already be brewing at home. Add a string of anarchist bombings (one targeted the Attorney General's own house) and the country was primed to panic.

The government's response is what makes this term exam-worthy. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer launched the Palmer Raids, rounding up thousands of suspected radicals, often without warrants, and deporting hundreds of immigrants. Because so many targets were foreign-born labor activists, [the Red Scare](/apush/unit-8/red-scare/study-guide/DO0e4A4aiTYvyrkA5oje "fv-autolink") fused anti-radicalism with nativism. That fusion fed directly into the immigration quota laws of the 1920s, which slashed immigration from southern and eastern Europe and raised barriers against Asian immigrants. In short, the First Red Scare turned fear of an ideology into fear of immigrants and unions.

## Why It Matters

The First Red Scare lives in **Topic 7.8 (1920s: Cultural and Political Controversies)** in [Unit 7](/apush/unit-7 "fv-autolink"). It supports **[APUSH](/apush "fv-autolink") 7.8.A**, which asks you to explain causes and effects of migration patterns, because the Red Scare's nativist energy helped produce the immigration quotas that restricted southern and eastern European and Asian immigration after World War I. It also connects to the broader 7.8 picture of 1920s controversies over immigration, race, and political radicalism. Just as important, it's the setup for **Topic 8.3 (The Red Scare)** and **APUSH 8.3.A** in Unit 8. The exam loves continuity-and-change questions about how the post-WWI Red Scare compares to the post-WWII one. If you only know one Red Scare, you're missing half the comparison.

## Connections

### [Palmer Raids (Unit 7)](/apush/key-terms/palmer-raids)

The [Palmer Raids](/apush/key-terms/palmer-raids "fv-autolink") were the First Red Scare in action. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer ordered mass arrests of suspected radicals in 1919-1920, often without warrants. If an MCQ asks what the government actually did during the Red Scare, this is the answer.

### Second Red Scare / McCarthyism (Unit 8)

The post-WWII Red Scare (Topic 8.3) is the sequel, and the exam tests the difference. The first scare targeted immigrants, [anarchists](/apush/key-terms/anarchists "fv-autolink"), and union organizers with raids and deportations. The second scare, per KC-8.1.II.A, focused on exposing suspected communists inside American institutions like government and Hollywood, with both parties backing containment abroad.

### Labor Unrest (Unit 7)

The 1919 strike wave (steel, coal, even the Boston police) is why so many Americans believed revolution was possible. Employers and politicians painted strikers as Bolsheviks, which let them crush unions while claiming to defend the country.

### [Sedition Act of 1918 (Unit 7)](/apush/key-terms/sedition-act-of-1918)

Wartime laws like the [Sedition Act](/apush/key-terms/sedition-act "fv-autolink") criminalized criticism of the government and built the legal machinery the Red Scare ran on. The civil liberties crackdown didn't start in 1919; it carried over from World War I.

## On the AP Exam

The most common move is comparison. Fiveable practice questions ask you to explain why the second Red Scare differed from the first one of 1919-1920, and that's exactly the kind of MCQ stem you should expect. Know the contrast cold. The first scare meant raids, deportations, and anti-immigrant nativism in 1919-1920; the second meant loyalty investigations and hunting communists inside U.S. institutions after 1945. No released FRQ has used "First Red Scare" verbatim, but it's strong evidence for continuity-and-change essays on civil liberties during wartime, nativism, or government responses to perceived internal threats. It also works as causation evidence for the 1920s immigration quotas, since the Red Scare supercharged nativist campaigns against southern and eastern European immigrants.

## First Red Scare vs Second Red Scare (McCarthyism)

Same fear, different targets and tactics. The First Red Scare (1917-1920) followed WWI and the Bolshevik Revolution, and it went after immigrants, anarchists, and labor radicals through the Palmer Raids and deportations. The Second Red Scare (late 1940s-1950s) followed WWII, and it focused on exposing suspected communists already inside American government, schools, and entertainment, through loyalty programs and congressional hearings rather than mass raids. Quick check for the exam: deportations and strikes mean first; blacklists and hearings mean second.

## Key Takeaways

- The First Red Scare (1917-1920) was triggered by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and a huge wave of labor strikes in 1919.
- Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's raids arrested thousands of suspected radicals and deported hundreds of immigrants, often without warrants.
- The Red Scare fused anti-communism with nativism, helping cause the 1920s immigration quotas that restricted southern and eastern European and Asian immigration (APUSH 7.8.A).
- It belongs to Unit 7 (Topic 7.8), while the Second Red Scare belongs to Unit 8 (Topic 8.3), and the exam frequently asks you to compare the two.
- The first scare targeted immigrants and unions with raids and deportations; the second targeted suspected communists inside American institutions with investigations and loyalty programs.

## FAQs

### What was the First Red Scare in APUSH?

It was the anti-communist panic from 1917 to 1920, sparked by the Bolshevik Revolution and the 1919 strike wave, that led to the Palmer Raids, deportations of immigrant radicals, and a surge of nativism. It's covered in Topic 7.8.

### What's the difference between the first and second Red Scares?

The first (1917-1920) followed WWI and targeted immigrants, anarchists, and labor activists with raids and deportations. The second (post-1945, Topic 8.3) focused on exposing suspected communists within U.S. government and society through investigations and loyalty programs, while both parties supported containment abroad.

### Was the First Red Scare caused by the Cold War?

No. The First Red Scare happened decades before the Cold War, right after World War I and the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. It's the post-WWII Second Red Scare that belongs to the Cold War era in Unit 8.

### What were the effects of the First Red Scare?

Mass arrests and deportations through the Palmer Raids, weakened labor unions, and a nativist backlash that fed the 1920s immigration quota laws restricting southern and eastern European immigration and raising barriers to Asian immigration.

### Is the First Red Scare on the AP exam?

Yes. It appears in Topic 7.8 as part of 1920s political and cultural controversies, and it shows up in comparison questions with the Second Red Scare from Topic 8.3, a contrast the multiple-choice section likes to test.

## Related Study Guides

- [7.8 1920s: Cultural and Political Controversies](/apush/unit-7/1920s-cultural-political-controversies/study-guide/LXAypu3iPW64jHg87JFH)
- [Unit 7 Overview: The Early 20th Century (1890-1945)](/apush/unit-7/review/study-guide/Z8yz2hLUNbkRC9OthYsd)

## Structured Data

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/first-red-scare#resource","name":"First Red Scare — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/first-red-scare","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/first-red-scare#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-06-11T00:48:04.425Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"AP US History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/first-red-scare#term","name":"First Red Scare","description":"The First Red Scare (1917-1920) was a nationwide panic over communism and radicalism, sparked by the Bolshevik Revolution and postwar labor strikes, that led to the Palmer Raids, mass deportations of immigrants, and a crackdown on civil liberties after World War I.","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/first-red-scare","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"AP US History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},"educationalAlignment":[{"@type":"AlignmentObject","alignmentType":"educationalSubject","educationalFramework":"AP Course and Exam Description","targetName":"APUSH Unit 7, Topic 7.8, LO 7.8.A"},{"@type":"AlignmentObject","alignmentType":"educationalSubject","educationalFramework":"AP Course and Exam Description","targetName":"APUSH Unit 7, Topic 7.8, LO 7.8.B"},{"@type":"AlignmentObject","alignmentType":"educationalSubject","educationalFramework":"AP Course and Exam Description","targetName":"APUSH Unit 8, Topic 8.3, LO 8.3.A"}]},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What was the First Red Scare in APUSH?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It was the anti-communist panic from 1917 to 1920, sparked by the Bolshevik Revolution and the 1919 strike wave, that led to the Palmer Raids, deportations of immigrant radicals, and a surge of nativism. It's covered in Topic 7.8."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What's the difference between the first and second Red Scares?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The first (1917-1920) followed WWI and targeted immigrants, anarchists, and labor activists with raids and deportations. The second (post-1945, Topic 8.3) focused on exposing suspected communists within U.S. government and society through investigations and loyalty programs, while both parties supported containment abroad."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Was the First Red Scare caused by the Cold War?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. The First Red Scare happened decades before the Cold War, right after World War I and the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. It's the post-WWII Second Red Scare that belongs to the Cold War era in Unit 8."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What were the effects of the First Red Scare?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Mass arrests and deportations through the Palmer Raids, weakened labor unions, and a nativist backlash that fed the 1920s immigration quota laws restricting southern and eastern European immigration and raising barriers to Asian immigration."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is the First Red Scare on the AP exam?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. It appears in Topic 7.8 as part of 1920s political and cultural controversies, and it shows up in comparison questions with the Second Red Scare from Topic 8.3, a contrast the multiple-choice section likes to test."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"AP US History","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Key Terms","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Unit 7","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush/unit-7"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"First Red Scare"}]}]}
```