Transcript Fighting the Cold War at Home

Happy Friday! 
Take
out your guided notes
sheet from yesterday. We
have two more slides to
cover!
Today’s LEQ: How did
anxieties raised by the Cold
War affect life in the United
States?
Communists Suspected at Home

Not all Americans agreed with gov’t
definition of communism; some thought
it was more fair than capitalism
 Everyone shared what society produced
 No extremes between rich and poor
As Cold War “heated up,” so did fears of
communist subversion
 To calm public anxiety, gov’t employers
required to take loyalty oath

House Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC)


Formed in 1938 to investigate subversive
organizations
In 1947, focused on communist influence in the film
industry
 “Large numbers of moving pictures that come out of
Hollywood carry the Communist line”



HUAC questioned writers, actors, and directors
about their political beliefs
Ten witnesses refused to answer – called the
Hollywood Ten; charged with contempt of
Congress
Resulted in blacklist of people thought to be
communist; those named could no longer find work
making films
Spy Cases Rise
Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in
1949 with help from spies
 British physicist, Klaus Fuchs, confessed
he’d spied for the Soviet Union during work
on the Manhattan Project
 Trail of espionage led investigators to
Americans, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg;
tried, convicted and executed in 1953 for
passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union
 Americans feared the federal government
was riddled with traitors

The Rise and Fall of Joseph
McCarthy



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
Senator from Wisconsin, claimed to have a list
of 205 communists working in high government
posts
At first, had widespread public support; spent
two years hunting down subversives
Never actually made a solid case against
anyone but caused many to lose their jobs; such
reckless persecution became known as
McCarthyism
Even accused both the Army and President
Eisenhower of being “soft on Communism”
Eventually, public opinion turned against
McCarthy and he faded from the national scene
Creating a Civil Defense System
Nuclear Arms Race caused major anxiety
 1951, Federal Civil Defense Administration
(FDCA) established to help Americans
survive a nuclear attack
 Civil preparedness became part of daily life

 Bomb shelters
 Duck-and-cover drills
 Evacuation plans

Many began to protest around this simple
idea: “Peace is the only defense against
nuclear war.”

Duck and Cover Video Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60
Key “Battles”
Berlin Blockade
2. Berlin Wall
3. Korean War
4. Nuclear Arms Race
5. Space Race (coming soon!)
6. Vietnam War (coming soon!)
1.
Visual Summary: Warning Signs


Create two warning signs about lessons that
can be learned from how the United States
fought the Cold War at home. One sign
should focus on a lesson learned from
McCarthyism. The other sign should focus on
a lesson learned from living in the Atomic Age.
Each diamond-shaped warning sign should
have these things:
 A short phrase that summarizes the lesson learned
 An icon related to the warning
 A description that more fully explains the lesson
learned and includes at least two Key Content Terms
○ HUAC, Alger Hiss Case, Rosenberg Trial,
McCarthyism, Atomic Age, FCDA
S.O.S. Response
 Were
the methods used by the
United States to contain
communism justified?
 State your position (thesis).
 Offer reasons.
 Support and defend your reasons
with evidence and examples.
Compare with your classmates.
Compare your response with two other
classmates.
 On the back of your S.O.S. sheet: In 3-4
sentences, explain how your argument
was strengthened or changed after
discussing the topic with your
classmates.
