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The Cold War At Home
Essential Question:Think back to what we learned from section
one and two about communism gaining ground in Europe and the Pacific, do you
think people had good reason to fear communist world domination? Or worse
yet, an attack on US soil? Do you think we have reason to fear today?
What were the Causes and Effects of McCarthyism?
Consider the Current Situation (post WWII)
McCarthy Speech• Read through Joseph McCarthy’s Wheeling Speech
and complete an APPARTS Analysis - to be discussed in class.
• During the Cold War, a new type of theory began spreading across America known as McCarthyism. Based on the Speech, how would you define McCarthyism?
To make matters worse . . .
• At the height of WWII, close to 100,000 Americans claimed membership in the Communists Party – red alert!
• People feared and wondered where their loyalty lied . . . With their country, or their political party?
• Do you remember what conspiracy theorists began saying about Truman’s ease at helping to aid South Korea in the beginning?– He was too soft . . . Meaning maybe he has motive???
Result of that Fear:Loyalty Review Board
• Republicans were strongly anti-communism and accused Truman of being too soft
• March 1947 Truman issues an order to set up the Federal Employment Loyalty Program– Included a loyalty review board– Purpose – to investigate gov’t employees and
dismiss those found to be disloyal– US Attorney General made a list of 91
“subversive” organizations – membership in any of these was grounds for suspicion
It's okay – We're hunting Communists," October 31, 1947
Suspicion and The Boards
• From 1947-1951, the boards investigated $3.2 million employees and dismissed 212 as security risks
• Another 2,900 resigned because– Did not want to be investigated– Thought the process was too intrusive
• Individuals under investigation were not allowed to see the evidence against them
• Teachers were also questioned and fired for teaching communism in schools.
The McCarran Act• Congress decided Truman’s board was not
going far enough• 1950 – Congress passes the McCarran
International Security Act– Made it unlawful to plan any action that might
lead to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship in the US
– Truman vetoed the bill saying “In a free country, we punish men for the crimes they commit, not for the opinions they have”
– Congress enacted the law over Truman’s veto
The House Un-American Activities Committee
• Also, Congress began investigating possible communist influences
• HUAC began making headlines when it began investigating communism in the film industry– They believed that communist propaganda was being
snuck into the movies– Subpoenaed 43 witnesses from Hollywood in Sept.47– Majority of them were friendly and helpful– Gary Cooper said he turned down roles in films he
thought to be ridden with communist ideas
Hollywood Ten While most were nice, there were ten
“unfriendly” witnesses called who refused to testify They became known as the Hollywood Ten They believed the hearings to be unconstitutional They were sent to prison
In response to hearings, Hollywood execs instituted a Blacklist of people whom they condemned for having a communist background 500 included actors, writers, and directors Careers were ruined and could no longer work
Spy Cases Stun the Nation• There were two cases that increased fear in the US• The first was Alger Hiss in 1948
– A former communist spy named Whittaker Chambers accused Hiss of Spying for the Soviets
– Evidence was a supposed microfilm document showing gov’t documents that he typed
– Charged with espionage, but convicted of perjury
– Sent to jail– Hiss claimed the
documents were forged and that he was innocent
Trial of Hiss A young, conservative
Republican attorney named Richard Nixon was responsible convicting Hiss
Within four years of the conviction, he became Vice President
Second Spy Case – The Rosenbergs
• Sept. 3, 1949 – America learns that the Soviets have exploded an atomic bomb
• Had been predicted that the Soviets would not have cracked the process to do so for another 3-5 yrs
• Naturally – they had to have learned so fast due to inside intelligence from US communist supporters
• In 1950 – A German-born physicist Klaus Fuchs admits to giving the Soviets info
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg• Implemented in the Fuchs case were Ethel and
Julius Rosenberg, minor activists in the American Communist Party
• They denied the charged and pleaded the fifth– They claimed they were being targeted because they
were Jewish• What do you think the outcome was?• Found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death• Executed in June 1953 despite pleas to spare their
lives– Left behind 2 sons– Became first executed for espionage in US
More on the Rosenbergs David Greenglass was Ethel’s brother and key
witness for the prosecution He sold out his sister saying that he saw her
typing up information that her husband would take to Soviet spies
Others were tried, but only sentenced to time in prison
They were found guilty under Section 2 of the Espionage Act of 1917 and thus sentenced to death
Greenglass "I don't know who typed it, frankly, and to this
day I can't remember that the typing took place. I had no memory of that at all—none whatsoever.“
He said he gave false testimony to protect himself and his wife, Ruth, and that he was encouraged by the prosecution to do so;
"I would not sacrifice my wife and my children for my sister.“
He said he was unaware that the death penalty would be invoked
McCarthy Launches his Witch Hunt
• The most famous anti-Communist activist was Senator Joseph McCarthy (repub)
• Made one unsupported accusation after another
• The paranoid communists conspiracy theory he believed existed became known as McCarthyism
McCarthyism• Unfair and reckless tactic of accusing people of
disloyalty without providing evidence• Claimed to have his hands on a list of names totaling
57, then 91, then 205 names of known communists working in the government– Never actually produced a single name
• He also charged Democrats guilty of “20 years of treason” for allowing Communist infiltration
• Republicans did nothing to stop him because they wanted to win the next election, and Americans viewed McCarthy and Republicans as taking action– One small group of 6 senators did speak out lead by
Margaret Chase Smith
Margaret Chase Smith Speaks Out
• I speak as a Republican , I speak as a woman, I speak as a United States Senator, I speak as an American . . . I am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been made a publicity platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the reckless abandon in which unproved charges have been hurled from this side of the aisle.
McCarthy’s Downfall
• 1945 – he makes allegations against the US Army, which resulted in a nationally televised Senate investigation
• McCarthy bullied the witnesses– Cost him public support– The Senate condemned him of making a mockery
of the legislative and judicial systems• He died three years later of alcoholism (a
broken man)
Other Anti-Communist Measures
• 1953 – 39 states passed laws making it illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the government– Later was ruled that this was unconstitutional
under the first amendment
• In Indiana, professional wrestlers had to take an oath of loyalty
• No profession was safe from suspicion
The Cold War At Home
Essential Question:Think back to what we learned from section
one and two about communism gaining ground in Europe and the Pacific, do you
think people had good reason to fear communist world domination? Or worse
yet, an attack on US soil? Do you think we have reason to fear today?
What were the Causes and Effects of McCarthyism?
