Incredible Photos Of Immigrants Arriving At Ellis Island

The Red Scare

By the end of World War I, America was becoming increasingly fearful of radical movements. Anarchists had already been banned from entering the country and the nation continued to be fearful of immigrants who harbored radical political views. The aftermath of the Russian Revolution terrified Americans, plunging the country into a “Red Scare.” Ellis Island then became a sort of prison, used to detain immigrant radicals who were accused of subversive activity as many people feared that they may try to start a revolution of their own in the United States. Many of these so-called radicals were later deported.