Transcript The Cold War at Home PowerPoint

THE COLD WAR
AT HOME
HUAC & MCCARTHYISM
THE COLD WAR
A period of tension between Communist and AntiCommunist nations
Led by the two world superpowers: United States &
Soviet Union
OPPOSING IDEOLOGIES
United States
Soviet Union
•Democracy
•Communism
•Multiple party politics
•Government owns property
•Capitalism
and controls economy
•Property is privately owned
•Single party politics
•Businesses and consumers
control economy
WHY WAS THE UNITED STATES SO
AFRAID OF COMMUNISM?
Domino Theory: the idea that if one country in a
region came under the influence of communism
than others in that area would also become
communist
Led to Anti-Communist hysteria
HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE
(HUAC)
•Committee in the House of Representatives in charge
of investigating possible communists
•1947-Hollywood Film Industry targeted
•Actors, directors, writers, etc. were forced to testify
about their political beliefs
•Many chose to remain silent in fear of incriminating
themselves
•Blacklists
MCCARTHYISM
“I have here in my hand a list of
205...a list of names that were
made known to the Secretary of
State as being members of the
Communist Party and who
nevertheless are still working and
shaping policy in the State
Department…”
-Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin,
1950
MCCARTHYISM VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_swO7Z2Vso&feature=rela
ted
1. What did the narrator mean by “the senator ran
roughshod over civil liberties”?
2. How did McCarthy’s actions impact the American
people?
3. What eventually happened to Senator McCarthy?
4. What was the ultimate result of the McCarthy
hearings?
MCCARTHYISM
• Little to no evidence of communist
activities necessary to accuse someone
• Many were fired or imprisoned for
suspicion
• Army-McCarthy hearings (1954)
• “Until this moment, Senator, I think I have
never really gauged your cruelty or your
recklessness…It is, I regret to say, equally
true that I fear he shall always bear a scar
needlessly inflicted by you.” –Joseph Welch
• McCarthy was censured, formally
scolded, for his actions
Did the US government have a
right to persecute possible
Communists as spies or threats in
the name of National Security?