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Friday, February 15, 2008 and
Monday, February 18, 2008
 TSW: how did political accusations create
fear and suspicion usher in the New Red
Scare and McCarthyism?
1.3: McCarthy & the Cold War at
Home
Anti-Communist Hysteria &
Suspicion in the 1950s
1.3: Connecting the Experience to History
 How did you feel when you discovered you had a blank piece of
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paper? A dot?
What methods did you use to determine who had a dot?
For those that had dots, how did you convince others you were not a
dot?
For those who were accused of being a dot, how did you feel? What
made you fearful or suspicious?
Given that there was no way to know for sure who was or was not a
dot, why did you try so hard to convince others that certain class
members were dots?
What emotions fueled this activity? Can you think of any time in
history when something like this occurred?
1.3A: McCarthyism
 What do you see here?
 This man is Sen. Joe McCarthy
who promoted antiCommunism in the 1950s
 Why do you think he spoke out
against Communism?
 How do you think the American
public responded?
 Why?
Bubble Map
HUAC
HISTORY
HYSTERIA
Joe McCarthy
1.3A: McCarthyism
 Birth of McCarthyism
 1950 - not well-known, Republican
 barely won re-election
 sought to promote pol career by
attacking Communism
 Feb. 12, 1950 - held a list of 205
Comm Party members who were
working for the State Dept.
 Communist Menace in:
– the Government
– entertainment industry
– & education
 (HUAC) House Un-American
Activities Committee
1.3A: McCarthyism
 Browbeat, bullied and berated for 4 years w/ HUAC
 “are you now or have you ever been a member of the
Communist Party?”
 Refuse to testify?...“Fifth Amendment Communists”
 Other deemed “guilty by association”
– Attack Hollywood…this means name is always in newspaper
 One of the most feared and powerful men in Wash. DC.
 Fear, suspicion, scapegoating became known as
McCarthyism
 Carried Cold War hysteria to new heights
1.3A: McCarthyism
 Anti-Communism as a
Pol. Weapon
 Democrats nervous b/c of ideology in
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liberal causes & reform politics
Democrats were labeled “soft on
communism”
Reds were Communists
Pinks would gradually help lead
America to Communism
Even called FDR’s New Deal “20 years
of treason.” Creeping Socialism
1.3A: McCarthyism
 McCarthyism & the
Cold War
 Prominence of McCarthyism
was fueled by fears and
tensions of the early Cold
War.
 The years surrounding
McCarthyism were marked
by Cold War setbacks and
revelations about real spies.
 1949 China becomes
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Communist (1/5 world pop.)
1949 Alger Hiss, a top state
dept official is tried and
convicted for passing classified
docs to the Soviets.
1949 The Soviet Union tested
its 1st Atomic Bomb
Several Americans, Julius and
Ethyl Rosenberg, worked in a
spy ring to pass atomic secrets
to the Soviet Union.
Tried and executed for treason
in 1953
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 What do you see ion this film poster?
 What is the “Red Menace?
 How can you tell?
 What do you think the filmmaker’s purpose was in making
this film?
 How do you think moviegoers responded to the film’s
message?
 What conclusions can you draw about Americans’ cultural
attitudes during the McCarthy era? Explain
 In this transparency we see a promotional poster for the
film The Red Menace, a stridently anti-Communist film
made in 1949.
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 Anti-Communist Sentiment Pervades American Life
 Hysteria and paranoia of McCarthyism permeated Am
society and culture
 Every aspect of society and culture was touched the
anti-Communist fervor
 Some consequences were extreme and comical.
 However, the impact of McCarthyism was serious and
long lasting
Tree Map
Anti-Communist
Sentiment
Pervades
American Life
Politics
Lawmaking
Education
Film Industry
Examples
Examples
Examples
Examples
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 Political Discourse
 American politics swung heavily to the right, Republican
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and conservative.
Proposals by Democrats to increase the govt role in any
program was viewed as leading to RED. (Creeping
Socialism.)
1948 - Truman’s proposal for health care was defeated.
Communists favored “compulsory health insurance.”
1950s - Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine, it was
suggested that all school age children be vaccinated for free.
However, Eisenhower’s sec’y of health, argued against
vaccinating saying it would be “socialized medicine through
the back door.”
Govt Funding for vaccinations cut by 70%
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 Lawmaking
 In Texas, membership in the Comm Party was a felony
and punishable by 20 years in prison.
– The governor vetoed the bill, calling for death.
 NY City, fisherman had to pledge their loyalty to the US
to get their fishing license.
 Indiana, wrestlers took a loyalty oath to get their license to
wrestle.
 Federal Level…Communist Control Act of ‘54 - illegal to
be a member of the Comm Party.
 6 Concentration camps scattered around the country to
house suspected Communists
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 Education
 Anti-Communist hysteria heavily impacted education.
 Teachers/Professors required to tale loyalty oaths.
 Textbooks emphasized patriotic themes, promoted anti-
RED propaganda
 High Schools told students to report suspicious behavior.
 “Un-American” books were banned and removed from
libraries.
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 The Film Industry
 Prime target.
 Constantly attacked by HUAC
 Writers, producers, actors and directors tried to defend
themselves, but ruined their career.
 “Blacklisted” - banished from working in the industry.
 John Wayne Gary Cooper , Walt Disney founded Motion
Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals.
– “co-existence is a myth and neutrality impossible …
anyone who is not fighting Communism is helping
Communism.
1.3B: Anti-Communist Sentiment in American
Society
 The Film Industry
 Film studios churned numerous anti-Communist films
 The Iron Curtain, The Red Menace, The Steel Fist.
 1952, 12 anti-Communist movies were made
 What do you see here?
 If this cartoon were in color, what color do
you think the paint would be? Why?
 What do you think the cartoon is saying
about what will happen to McCarthy next?
 How do you think the cartoonist felt about
McCarthy?
1.3C: The End of McCarthyism
 McCarthy Falls
 Despite all of the hysteria, NO
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conspirators were ever found.
McCarthy Never proved his
conspiracy theory.
Political power waned, supporters
abandoned him.
Finally overreached himself when
he shouted at a general on TV
“You are a disgrace to the uniform.
You’re shielding communist
conspirators … You’re not fit to be
an officer. You’re ignorant.”
He ranted, raved, and even
appeared to slur his speech as if
1.3C: The End of McCarthyism
 McCarthy Falls
 American s grew tired of his
bullying tactics.
 He disgraced general,
congressman, Pres. Eisenhower.
 He was censured by the Senate,
67-22
 Died of liver failure 3 years
later in 1957