Silver Shirt Legion of America, Washington State Division photograph collection, approximately 1930-1939

William Dudley Pelley (1890-1965) was born in Lynn, Massachusetts and grew up in poverty. As a young man, he was a published journalist and short story writer. His antisemitic views initially formed when he joined the Red Cross in Siberia during the Russian Civil War (1917-1923). During his service in the Red Cross, he began to subscribe to the theory of Jewish Communism, which alleged that Jews were dominant in Communist movements throughout the world. Upon returning to the United States, Pelley became a screenwriter in Hollywood. Pelley's antisemitic feelings increased as he perceived himself as being mistreated by Jewish studio executives. In 1929, Pelley published an account of three out-of-body experiences he claimed to have experienced during the preceding year, in one of which God and Jesus instructed him to spiritually transform the United States by promoting Christianity and opposing "forces of evil." In Pelley's view, "forces of evil" signified Jews and Communists. Pelley greatly admired Hitler and his antisemitic views. He studied Hitler's philosophies and speeches, and was inspired to form the Silver Legion of America (also known as the "Silver Shirts") in 1933. The Silver Legion was a paramilitary organization modeled after Hitler's Brownshirts. The members portrayed the organization as a Protestant Christian movement created to restore a new Christian-led society and government. The Silver Legion of America was based out of Asheville, North Carolina, but Pelley and other Silver Legion members were active in recruiting members nationwide. The legion was especially active in Oregon, California, and Washington in the 1930s. The Washington State liaison officer was Orville W. Roundtree. The legion's ideologies embraced white supremacy, antisemitism, racism, anti-Communism, isolationism, and British Israelism. Silver Legion members wore Nazi-style silver uniform shirts with an "L" emblem which symbolized loyalty to the United States, liberation from materialism, and the Silver Legion. Membership peaked in 1935 with a reported 15,000 members. In 1936, Pelley ran for president as head of the Christian Party, which he had founded. Pelley only managed to get on the ballot in Washington State, and only received 1,598 votes. In 1936, Pelley visited Washington, and the Silver Lodge was erected on the property of Arthur and Rubie Johnson in Redmond, Washington. The lodge was used as a meeting place for Silver Legion members. Over time, membership in the legion waned. In 1942, the legion was effectively dissolved due to a number of factors. Pelley had accused President Franklin D. Roosevelt of being a Jewish stooge in a worldwide conspiracy, and Roosevelt instructed the FBI to shut the legion down. Pelley's office was raided, he was arrested and found guilty of multiple acts of sedition, and police were instructed to arrest any individuals associated with the legion.