William Dudley Pelley's The Silver Legion

The Silver Legion worked to achieve its goal of ensuring that the Constitutional rights written by the founding fathers be implemented, by electing the leader of their group, William Dudley Pelley in the presidential election 1940. During Pelley’s run for presidency, the organization was bringing awareness of communist ideas spreading in the nation. In the summer 1936, Pelley was giving speeches every other day to a crowd of thousands of people. It was found that “buried in his public excoriations of Roosevelt, Jews, bankers, and Communists were references to his esoteric beliefs”. Throughout his campaigning, Pelley found that he was having an inability to reach a common cause with with other extremist leaders. However, Pelley did write positive articles about other fascists leaders in the Silver Legion’s
Their ultimate goal was to over throw the government because they believed it was becoming too communist, however after Pearl Harbor the group seized and Pelley was charged with treason and put in prison. Even though the organization did not last, they did leave behind a legacy of being regarded as the first National Socialist-style organization in the United States. It is also widely remembered for following into the footsteps of Adolf Hitler. The organization’s biggest fear was that the traditional U.S. Constitution was powerless in addressing their powers and were searching for alternatives to democracy. The Silver Legion was an organization that was more conservative and to the right. Today there is still many that like the Silver Legion, fear that the United States government is intact carrying communistic characteristics. This organization was based on the thought that the constitution should be revised and also combatting the rise of communism. Even though their party is no longer around, some of their fears and beliefs are still