The First Red Scare in America began after the October Revolution in Russia beginning on November 6,1917. The Red Scare was defined by America's widespread mistrust of Communism. Red came from the communist Bolsheviks that led the revolution against the newly formed democratic government. The February Revolution that same year toppled the long-standing Tsar in Russia. (Britannica)
The Feburary Revolution in Petrograd (Lockhart)
The Fourth Duma in St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg Archives)
This newly formed democratic council was called a Duma, consisting of politicians from left and right-leaning ideologies created after the abdication of Tsar Nikolas. Elected in late 1905, their first session took place on April 27, 1906. The men spoke for a more civil and peaceful formation of a new Russian government. (duma.gov)
New York Times article on October Revolution (NYTimes)
The faction that would later spark the revolution, the Bolsheviks, were led by Vladimir Lenin who advocated for a violent and forceful takeover of government which he thought was necessary. (History)
“Revolution can never be forecast; it cannot be foretold; it comes of itself. Revolution is brewing and is bound to flare up.”
-Vladimir Lenin (1921)
At the beginning of November 1917, an almost bloodless coup d'etat was raised against the Duma leading to the Bolshevik Party's control of the Russian government. (Britannica)
Lenin gives speech at Red Square 1918, (Hulton-Deutsch)
"Modern monopolist capitalism on a world-wide scale — imperialist wars are absolutely inevitable under such an economic system, as long as private property in the means of production exists."
-Vladimir Lenin (1920)
With this event, we can see the cause of the First Red Scare in America. Aspects of communism such as the lack of private ownership and anti-democratic ideology were seen as a threat to the American way of life. Into the 1920s, many bombings and explosions were linked to communist terrorists. These attacks were met by the Palmer Raids, carried out by a group of suspected communists.
(FBI)
New York Times Article on Palmer Raids (NYTimes)