American protective league

           The american protective league was a organization  group that was against immigrants and was anti catholic. The founder of the american protective league was Henry F. Bower who was a attorney that opposed the involvement of the Catholics in politics!!. Some of the main factors that lead up to the start of the APL where, the great migration, race riots, and the espionage act. 0-07-325718  I found in my research that the american protective league claimed to have 250,000 members. Also in my research i found that the league was funded by the government and had a headquarters in Washington  DC. The Attorney General, Thomas W. Gregory described the league as a "patriotic organization". Thomas also was a avid supported of repressing dissent. The american protective league was similar to other vigilante organizations such as, the national security league, the boy spies of america, and the american defense society; the APL was also larger than these other organizations. 0-07-325718

                                                                                       

          In the great migration hundreds of thousand of African Americans came in to the northern industrial cities from the south. This was one of the major results of the war. The reason the migration happened was from a push  of poverty, indebtedness, racism and violence the the African Americana experienced everyday. 0-07-325718 The factories offered jobs and lives that the south didn't. This wave of migration to the north aggravated the whites in the north because they didn't like the blacks taking there jobs. More than 70,000 black residents came to the north in search for jobs. The race riots helped in the of forming the APL. The burning down and terrorism of a black neighborhood by a white mob during the race riots of 1917, along with the Espionage act of 1917 showed the need for the APL, I found the the espionage act created stiff penalties for spying, sabotage, or obstruction of war efforts! Through reading my textbook I found that the espionage act gave the government new laws and power.0-07-325718. i also found some of my information here
           The american protective league was started in 1917. If you wanted to be a member of it you had to memorize a oath  of the league. The oath stated this. A member of the APL signed the secret oath that pledged themselves to its principles! The oath was constructed by the founder Henry F. Bower. The american protective league pretty much didnt like anyone who was different in race or other things.

         The victims of the League where socialist, labor activist, female pacifists. The league also targeted most frequently on immigrants such as, Irish  American because of there historic animosity toward the British, Jews beacause many expressed opposition to the anti-Semitic policies of the Russian government 0-07-325718. The APL was a private organizationt that had no legal authority and its   members acted as vigilantes.
        The American Protective league supporteda campaon that to purge society of all things german. German Americans siciety where also a huge target for abuse. Even though most German Americans supported the war there where terrorizerd when there public opinion turned "bitterly hostile".0-07-325718 The American Protective League commited many crimes and was never brpught up on charges!!!!!. I found this information in my research and to me it seams almost like the APL was above the law, because they commited many crimes and where never brought up on them.
        In the eyes of the American Protective league members they where commiting acts for the greater of america and what they believed in.  When really the League was harming innocent americans. I found this information here The league members who seved as agents, would intrude on the privacy of there neighbors by opeaning there mail, taping there telephones, and in general attempting to unity of opinion on their communities.0-07-325718 Through my research i found out that the APL, started by Henry F. Bower, was basically a orginization that was out  to better america but in there minds that ment to kickout anyone who wasnt fully american, like immigrants. The league was extreamly cruel to the new african americans that came up from the south in search for jobs. The American Protective Leaguen my mind did what wanted to and got away with it. I found this here