Between 1900 and 1920, a vibrant and multifaceted movement for social and economic reform swept the nation. Chicago was the national headquarters of the Socialist Party, a center for anarchist organizing, and home to a vigorous labor movement. In an era of mass immigration, Chicagoans played a prominent role in organizing popular discontent with American social and economic life.

With the entry of the U.S. into World War I, federal and local governments attempted to create a consensus of thought and speech. Propagandists targeted the immigrant working class, imploring them to show their loyalty to America by buying war bonds, working long hours, and making no complaints. Chicago radicals and union organizers who spoke out faced charges of undermining the war effort, and many were given long prison terms or were deported from the country.