A. Mitchell Palmer

A. Mitchell Palmer
Harris & Ewing, photographer · Public domain · source
Name	A. Mitchell Palmer
Office	United States Attorney General
President	Woodrow Wilson
Term start	1919
Term end	1921
Predecessor	Thomas Watt Gregory
Successor	Harry M. Daugherty

A. Mitchell Palmer was a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Attorney General from 1919 to 1921, during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. Palmer is best known for his role in the Palmer Raids, a series of raids and arrests of suspected radicals and immigrants, which were carried out in collaboration with J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Palmer's actions during this period were influenced by the Red Scare and the perceived threat of Bolshevism and anarchism in the United States, as exemplified by the Russian Revolution and the Spartacist uprising. His policies were also shaped by the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918, which were enacted during World War I.

● Early Life and Education

A. Mitchell Palmer was born in Moose Creek, Pennsylvania, and grew up in a family of modest means, with his father being a Republican and a Methodist minister. Palmer attended Swarthmore College, where he studied law and developed an interest in politics, inspired by figures such as Theodore Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan. After graduating from Swarthmore, Palmer attended George Washington University Law School, where he earned his law degree and began to build a career as a lawyer, influenced by the works of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and Louis Brandeis. Palmer's early life and education were shaped by his interactions with prominent figures such as Elihu Root and William Howard Taft, who would later become President of the United States.

● Career

Palmer began his career as a lawyer in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where he quickly became involved in local Democratic politics, working alongside figures such as William Gibbs McAdoo and Josephus Daniels. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1909 to 1915, representing Pennsylvania's 26th congressional district, where he worked on issues related to labor law and immigration law, influenced by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the Lawrence Textile Strike. Palmer's time in Congress was marked by his support for progressive causes, including the Federal Reserve Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act, which were championed by Woodrow Wilson and Louis Brandeis. He also worked closely with other prominent politicians, such as Robert La Follette and George Norris, on issues related to trust busting and consumer protection.

● Palmer Raids

The Palmer Raids were a series of raids and arrests carried out by the United States Department of Justice in 1919 and 1920, targeting suspected radicals and immigrants, particularly those associated with the Communist Party USA and the Industrial Workers of the World. The raids were led by Palmer and J. Edgar Hoover, who used the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 to justify the arrests and deportations of thousands of people, including Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. The raids were widely criticized by civil liberties groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which was founded in part to oppose the Palmer Raids, and were influenced by the Russian Revolution and the Spartacist uprising. The Palmer Raids marked a low point in the history of civil liberties in the United States, and were widely condemned by figures such as Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and Louis Brandeis, who were concerned about the impact on free speech and due process.

● Later Life and Legacy

After leaving office in 1921, Palmer returned to private practice as a lawyer, but remained involved in politics, working on issues related to immigration reform and labor law, influenced by the Harlan County coal strike and the Lawrence Textile Strike. He also wrote several books on politics and law, including a memoir of his time as Attorney General of the United States, which discussed his interactions with figures such as Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge. Palmer's legacy is complex and contested, with some viewing him as a champion of national security and others seeing him as a threat to civil liberties, as exemplified by the Scopes Trial and the Sacco and Vanzetti case. His actions during the Palmer Raids have been widely criticized by historians and scholars, including Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Eric Foner, who have written about the impact on free speech and due process.

● Political Career

Palmer's political career was marked by his support for progressive causes, including labor law and immigration reform, which were influenced by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the Lawrence Textile Strike. He worked closely with other prominent politicians, such as Robert La Follette and George Norris, on issues related to trust busting and consumer protection, and was a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson and the Democratic platform, which included the Federal Reserve Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act. Palmer's time in office was also marked by his interactions with international leaders, including David Lloyd George and Georges Clemenceau, who played important roles in shaping the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. Despite his controversial legacy, Palmer remains an important figure in American history, and his actions continue to be studied by scholars and historians, including Dorothy Ross and Nell Irvin Painter, who have written about the impact of the Palmer Raids on American society and politics.