During the Red Scare, which was a period of anti-communist hysteria in the United States in the early to mid-20th century, many Americans were concerned that their civil liberties were at risk. The Palmer Raids, in which government authorities arrested suspected radicals and immigrants, further fueled these fears. In response to these violations of civil liberties, a group of activists, including Roger Nash Baldwin and Crystal Eastman, formed the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920. The ACLU aimed to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of all Americans, particularly those who were being targeted during the Red Scare. The Red Scare prompted the formation of the ACLU as a way to defend individuals' rights to free speech, due process, and freedom from government repression.
