Boy Spies of America
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The Boy Spies of America was a children's group organized during World War I.[1] It was one of a dozen of extralegal vigilance organizations dedicated to volunteer spying which arose during that war.[2][3] The group is similar to other organizations, such as the Sedition Slammers, the Terrible Threateners, the American Protective League, and the Knights of Liberty.[4]
Initially the group was created to punish Americans who spoke out against the war. Members reinforced a climate of anti-German sentiment and stopped young men on the street, demanding to see their draft cards.[5] After some time, members targeted any person who spoke negatively about any part of American life.
Throughout its existence, the group failed to identify any German spies.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The 'Savage Peace' of 1919", NPR interview with Ann Hagadorn
- ^ "Spies Among Us: World War I and the American Protective League".
- ^ Hagedorn, Ann (2007). Savage Peace. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 25. ISBN 9780743243711.
- ^ Stone, Geoffrey R. (2004). Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 156. ISBN 9780393058802.
[T]he American Protective League quickly enlisted more than 200,000 members. APL members ferreted out disloyalty whenever and wherever they could find it. They reported thousands of individuals to the authorities on the basis of hearsay, gossip, and slander. The leadership of the APL consisted primarily of conservative men of means - bankers, insurance executives, factory owners. Other volunteer organizations were the Knights of Liberty, the Boy Spies of America, the Sedition Slammers, and the Terrible Threateners.
- ^ Conlin, Joseph (2010). The American Past: A Survey of American History, Volume II: Ninth Edition. Boston: Wadsworth.
- ^ Capozzola, Christopher Joseph Nicodemus. Uncle Sam wants you: World War I and the making of the modern American citizen.
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