The Beginning of FBI

By Denis Mueller

In 1908, Attorney General Charles Bonaparte created a

Permanent agency, which used temporary Secret Service

Agents to uncover a land fraud scheme involving two

Members of Congress. Congress, in turn, compared the

New agency to the Tsar's secret police. The new agency,

Not called the FBI yet, had to assure Congress that it

Only would investigate interstate commerce laws. They

Were also forbidden to monitor political dissent or

Investigate members of Congress. This was all to change

With the outbreak of the First World War and the Russian

Revolution. The specter of communism frightened government

And business leaders and this fear was to be the catalyst

For the growth of the surveillance for the next seventy

Years.

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J. Edgar Hoover was a low level lawyer at the Library of

Congress before he was promoted to the newly created GID,

Which would monitor dissent within the United States.

Hoover was a master bureaucrat whose tactics play a

Crucial role in the development of the governmental

Surveillance system. He was so successful that by 1921

The Bureau compiled over 200,000 dossiers of different

Organizations and people. The list included such names

As Jane Adams, anti-war Senator Robert Lafollette, civil

Liberation Roger Baldwin, Emma Goldman who would be

Deported due to the Hoover's tenacity, The International

Workers of the World (IWW) many of whom would be arrested,

The Socialist Party who would emerge from the war destroy-

Ed partly due to bureau tactics and Black Nationalist

Leader Marcus Garvey. Hoover's keen interest in black

Groups would manifest itself into some of the FBI's worst

Illegalities. This would include blackmail, disruption of

people's lives, framing people for crimes they did not

Commit and murder.

After the war, the GID enlisted the support of private

Groups. The Bureau lacked the authority to use their

Material for prosecution so they leaked the information

To the press, private groups and local police departments.

These unlawful activities conducted by private groups

Like and American Legion and the deputized American

Protective League included intimidation and beatings.

This was condoned and supported by police authorities

And the press.

The Bureau began to overstep their bounds when they turned

Their attention towards the Democratic Party and those who

Opposed the Harding Administration. This caused the

Democrats to force investigations into the actions of the

GID and call for reform. The Congress turned to J. Edgar

Hoover. If this sounds like putting the fox in the hen

House, then all of this was lost on Congress, who now

Installed the architect of the Red Scare. Hoover never

Stopped collecting files on citizens but his efforts became

Limited to gathering information, which he would insert

Into his files, creating the beginnings of an intelligence

System that would abuse its charter as long as Hoover

Retained power. The threat of fascism, and President

Roosevelt concerns about pro-fascist groups, led FDR direct

Hoover to look into the activities of these groups and of

The Communist Party. Hoover used this directive as a

Rationale for the surveillance of citizens for the rest of

His career.