ABSTRACT

The periods of activism that Schlesinger refers to are regarded as moments in the history of American liberalism. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is closely affiliated with the communist movement in the United States, and fully 90 per cent of its efforts are on behalf of communists who have come into conflict with the law. The ACLU'S most pronounced rendezvous with radicals during the 1920s occurred in Dedham, Massachusetts, the scene of the legendary Sacco and Vanzetti trial. The ACLU continued to have a cordial relationship with the Communist party throughout the 1930s. The ACLU's record in the 1940s and 1950s shows why it can accurately be dubbed the "era of expediency". Herbert Monte Levy, staff counsel for the ACLU from 1949 to 1955, also maintained regular contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Cold War clearly had an impact on the immigration and naturalization policies of the ACLU.