ESPINONAGE AND SEDITION

CENTER TARGET

I can describe how fear and suspicion led to the Espionage and Sedition Acts during World War I.

READ ABOUT IT!

Welcome to the Espionage and Sedition Virtual Center.  The first thing your group needs to do is read about Espionage and Sedition during World War I.  After you read, you need to work together to complete the Espionage and Sedition Center Page in your Lesson Chronicles.

THE LYNCHING OF ROBERT PRAGER

PictureBlack Tom Bombing
When World War I began, eight million German-Americans lived in the United States, almost ten percent of the population. After the Black Tom Bombing and the capture of German spies, suspicion and hysteria grew. German-sounding street names were changed. Cities such as Berlin, Michigan, were renamed. Orchestras stopped playing the music of German composers Wagner and Beethoven. German- American newspapers were shut down and students could no longer study the German language in schools. Libraries across the nation burned German books in public. German food such as sauerkraut was called “liberty cabbage” and short, little Dachshund dogs were referred to as “liberty pups.” 
PictureRobert Prager
As the public became increasingly nervous about German-American loyalty, violence grew as well.  Americans spied on neighbors and attacked those they considered anti-American. One of the most famous cases of anti-German sentiment was that of Robert Prager, a German immigrant living in Collinsville, Illinois. Prager was born in Dresden, Germany, and came to the U.S. in 1905 at the age of nineteen. In 1917 he completed his citizenship requirements and tried to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Rejected from military service for medical reasons, Prager then applied for membership in the United Mine Workers Union to work as a miner. He was rejected on the basis of being “unmarried, stubbornly argumentative, given to Socialist doctrines, blind in one eye,” and “looked like a spy.” 
PictureAnti-German Sentiment
On April 3, 1918, a group of miners warned Prager to leave town. He refused and responded by posting notices attacking the UMW leaders. Angered by Prager’s “disloyal remarks,” a group of men dragged him from his home and forced him to walk down the street barefoot, draped in an American flag. He was rescued by a policeman and put in jail. But when rumors spread that a German “spy” was being held, a mob entered the jail and found Prager hiding in the basement. As police stood by, Prager was marched out of the city limits, allowed to write a short letter to his parents, and pray. He was then hanged before a crowd of two hundred people. 

TOOL BOX

Important Vocabulary
acquitted: to decide that someone is not guilty of a crime

Black Tom Bombing:  an act of German sabotage where a stockpile of munitions that America had planned to send to the Allies was destroyed 

espionage:  the things that are done to find out secrets from enemies or competitors or the activity of spying

Espionage and Sedition Acts:  laws passed that made it illegal to do or say anything bad about America's involvement in World War I

hysteria:  a state in which your fear or anger are so strong that you behave in an uncontrolled way
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profane:  to use foul language, curse, or call something or someone bad names

Robert Prager:  was a German immigrant, who was lynched by a mob because of anti-German sentiment during World War I and because he was accused of being a socialist
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sedition: the crime of saying, writing, or doing something that encourages people to disobey their government
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sentiment:  an attitude, thought, or judgment prompted by feeling

Socialist:  a person who believes that all property and business should be owned in common by everyone in a country under government control 

suspicion:  having the belief or impression that someone is involved in an illegal or dishonest activity

verdict:  the decision made by the jury in a trial
PictureThe twelve men acquitted of the Robert Prager lynching

​A month later twelve men were tried for the murder of Robert Prager, and all were found not guilty. One man on the jury reportedly shouted “Well, I guess nobody can say we aren’t loyal now.” The local newspaper approved of the verdict, claiming “the whole city is glad that the ... men indicted for the hanging of Robert P. Prager were acquitted ... the community is well-convinced that he was disloyal ... The city does not miss him.” 
Picture
The federal government encouraged this type of behavior by passing the Espionage Act in 1917. The Sedition Acts were added the next year. The laws made it a crime to: 
  • Tell or give any information that interferes with the success of the United States armed forces.
  • Tell or give any information that promotes the success of the enemies of the United States.
  • Tell or give false reports or statements that will interrupt the armed  forces from doing their jobs or to interfere with recruiting or enlisting members of the armed forces.
  • Use disloyal, profane, or abusive language against the United States or the armed forces during wartime.
  • ​The laws also gave the Postmaster the authority to refuse to send or deliver mail or publications considered in violation of these laws.​

ANALYZE IT!

In today's Analyze It Activity, you will analyze the Espionage and Sedition Acts in two ways.  First, you will look at Propaganda and Political Cartoons about the Espionage and Sedition Acts and determine what they are telling you.  Then you will read about the trials of Eugene V. Debs who was accused of violating the Espionage and Sedition acts during World War I.  Then, your group will render a verdict of whether you believe he was guilty or not guilty.
PART 1:  PROPAGANDA & POLITICAL CARTOONS
Look at each Propaganda poster and Political Cartoon below.  Each one is telling you how the author or illustrator feels about the Espionage and Sedition Acts.   For each one, determine what they are telling you.  Be ready to discuss your answer in whole group.  Click on each picture to enlarge it.
PART 2:  YOU BE THE JUDGE!
Read the court case summary below.  Eugene V. Debs was the defendant in the case and is accused of violating the Espionage and Sedition Acts during World War I.  Did he violate the Espionage and Sedition Acts?  What do you think?  Discuss it in your groups and render a verdict of whether you believe he was guilty or not guilty.  Post your answer on the group poll.  I will reveal your classes verdict for the case and tell you the real outcome after every group has completed the activity.
The Eugene V. Debs Case
Eugene V. Debs was a labor leader who founded several unions.  A member of the Socialist Party, he ran for president five times as the socialist candidate.  Below is an excerpt from a speech he delivered in Canton, Ohio on June 16, 1918.  What parts of the speech were likely seen as treason. Do you agree that Debs broke the law?  Why or why not? 

PROVE IT!

You just learned about the Espionage and Sedition Acts during World War I. Now you need to show off what you know.  Complete the Center Check by clicking on the Center Check Icon below and answering the questions.

CENTER COMPLETE!

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