Introduction

Today, capitalism, socialism, and communism are hotly debated topics, flooding the media, the internet, and our daily conversations. But these economic theories and systems have been the center of argument for decades. At the turn of the century, there was a major shift from local industry to national markets. So as the Progressive era started and America started to try to define the proper role of the government, the economic systems in place were brought into question. We see an effort to preserve the innovation and wealth that comes with industrial capitalism while avoiding its tendency to produce inequality and exploitation that threaten the future of the United States.¹ But as the First World War hits, another shift occurs and we see the Red Scare set in. This exhibit will examine both anti-capitalist and anti-communist sentiments in the early 1900s along with an analysis of how the Christian church could not agree on whether the impact of capitalism was positive or negative.