History Daily: The Wall Street Bombing

Anarchism, advocating for the overthrow of capitalist systems and government institutions in favor of equitable wealth distribution, found fertile ground in the United States, particularly among Italian immigrants on the East Coast.

Anarchism emerged as a political philosophy in the 19th century, advocating for the overthrow of capitalist systems and governments in favor of a more equitable distribution of wealth.

Anarchists emerged in the mid-19th century with the idea that powerful leaders created and maintained systems that enriched themselves at the cost of the less fortunate. They believed the capitalist system was on the brink of collapse and just needed a little push to bring it down. As one of the world's most significant but unequal economies, the United States drew many anarchist supporters, especially among the Italian immigrant communities that settled in East Coast cities.

Anarchists believed they could hasten the collapse of capitalism through the use of violent tactics, including sending deadly parcel bombs through the mail.

Anarchists, willing to use force to overthrow governments and eliminate the need for governments, banks, companies, or stocks, resorted to sending bombs through the mail as one of their tactics. In April 1919, anarchists targeted politicians and public figures who had opposed the anarchist movement by mailing them letter bombs.

In 1919, a series of parcel bombings targeted prominent politicians, businessmen, and other figures who had spoken out against anarchism, killing several people.

These parcel bombs in April had little impact, with the only device that successfully detonated being sent to former U.S. Senator from Georgia Thomas Hardwick. A resu ...

After a series of parcel bombings in 1919, authorities ramped up their efforts to curb anarchist activities, leading to the notorious arrests of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti.

In the aftermath of the 1919 parcel bombings, authorities cracked down on suspected anarchists, including the arrest of Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti.

Following the parcel bomb campaign by anarchists in 1919, U.S. Attorney General Mitchell Palmer directed the mass apprehension of known and suspected anarchists in the Palmer raids. These raids affected 6,000 foreign-born suspects across 36 cities, and many detainees were released without charges amidst civil rights groups' outcry against the raids' excessive force. In the midst of this climate, Italian anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti found themselves charged with a separate offense, not directly related to the bombings.

Sacco and Vanzetti were implicated in a brutal robbery in Braintree, Massachusetts, where gunmen took the payroll of the Slater and Morrill Shoe Company, leaving two company workers dead. While they were charged with this specific robbery and murder, many believed their arrest was a broader attempt by the government to suppress and intimidate anarchists.

The anarchist movement rallied to Sacco and Vanzetti's defense, seeing their case as a symbol of the persecution of their political beliefs.

The indictment of Sacco and Vanzetti for murder became a rallying point for anarchists and sympathizers who viewed it as a continuation of the government's efforts to target and intimidate people ...

On September 16, 1920, a bomb-laden horse-drawn wagon exploded on Wall Street, killing 40 people and becoming the deadliest act of terrorism in US history at the time.

On September 16, 1920, a bomb-laden horse-drawn wagon exploded on Wall Street, killing 40 people and becoming the deadliest act of terrorism in US history at the time.

The Wall Street bombing was a violent and dramatic event that shook New York City and had long-lasting implications. The explosion occurred when a wagon parked outside J.P. Morgan's bank on Wall Street; the driver left the scene before the explosion, indicating that the attack was premeditated. The blast left a crater where the wagon had stood, flipped a nearby car, and sent wood, glass, and debris flying. Messenger James Saul, a witness at the scene, had observed the wagon blocking traffic shortly before the explosion, and he spent the rest of the day assisting victims and helping to transport them to the hospital.

Authorities quickly blamed anarchists for the attack when they discovered flyers from a group self-identifying as the "American Anarchist Fighters" at the scene. The flyers demanded the release of political prisoners, including Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, expressing the anarchists' disdain for capitalism.

However, the hasty cleanup of the crime scene by local officials destroyed much of the physical evidence, hampering the investigation.

The inquiry into the bombing was compromised by the rapid cleanup effort initiated by local officials, including the New York mayor, who insisted the stock exchange reopen the following day to prevent financial panic. This decision resulted in the potential destruction of crucial evidence. William Flynn, the director of the Bureau of Investigation, faced considerable challenges due to the cleanup, which hampered the investigation.

Agents from the Bureau of Investigation made extensive efforts, trying to trace the origins of the flyers and locate the blacksmith who had shod ...