McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch...
Transcript of McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch...
![Page 1: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
McCarthyism and the Red Scare
![Page 2: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
The ‘American Dream’
• American dream of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’
• America seen as ‘land of opportunity’
• Free market capitalism central to US economy and foreign trade
![Page 3: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Fear of Communism in the USA
• Communism seen as a threat to democracy, freedom of speech, religious freedom, private property and capitalism
• Soviet Union test their 1st atomic bomb in 1949 so Communist USSR also seen as a military threat to USA and its allies
![Page 4: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Communist Expansion
• Communist governments got control in many European countries in years following WWII and Warsaw Pact military alliance set up
• Communists get control in China 1949
• Joe McCarthy claimed that in 1944 180 million people under Communist rule but in 1950 had risen to 840 million
![Page 5: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Communist Spies and Agents
• There was a fear that communist spies and agents were operating in the US
• This fear was fuelled by propaganda anti-communist propaganda in books, newspapers, films and movies
![Page 6: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Alger Hiss
• Worked as a senior official in the State Department
• Worked as an adviser to Roosevelt
• Hiss accused of being a communist spy in 1948 but found not guilty
• Hiss later questioned by Richard Nixon and admitted to lying
• Sentenced to 5 years in prison in 1950
![Page 7: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were husband and wife and in 1948 were accused of giving atomic secrets to USSR
• Evidence considered unreliable by some
• Rosenbergs executed in 1953
![Page 8: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
House of Unamerican ActivitiesHUAC
• HUAC was a House of Representatives Committee set up in 1938 to investigate communist and fascist organisations in USA
• By mid 1940s focussed solely on communist groups
• Suspects asked ‘Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?’
• People brought before the HUAC could not use the 5th amendment to the constitution to avoid answering
![Page 9: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
HUAC and Hollywood Blacklists
• In 1947 HUAC began investigating Hollywood
• Some refused to cooperate fully and were blacklisted
• Eventually around 300 actors, directors, screenwriters boycotted by the studios
![Page 10: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Joe McCarthy
• Republican Senator from Wisconsin
• Made a speech in 1950 saying he had a list of communists working for the State Department
• Tidyings Committee set up to investigate allegations
• McCarthy made more accusations but produced little evidence
![Page 11: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
![Page 12: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
McCarthy’s Committees
• 1953 McCarthy was made chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Operations
• People brought before Committee were often treated in a bullying fashion
![Page 13: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
McCarthy’s Witch Hunt
• McCarthy’s Committee suggested that communist sympathisers were to be found in lots of different organisations, state departments and even in the US military
![Page 14: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Truman and McCarthy
• McCarthy clashed with Truman often portraying Truman and Democrats as being soft on Communism
![Page 15: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Eisenhower and McCarthy
• Eisenhower was a Republican and campaigned with McCarthy
• Eisenhower unhappy with McCarthy’s criticism of George C. Marshall
• But never directly criticised McCarthy "Have a care, sir," March 4, 1954
Reproduction from original drawingPublished in the Washington Post (33)
![Page 16: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
McCarthy vs. the Army
• 1953 McCarthy began investigation into US military
• Many in military unhappy with McCarthy’s approach
• 1954 McCarthy accused of trying to get promotion for a friend
![Page 17: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Decline of McCarthyism
• Army-McCarthy hearings set up to investigate and McCarthy’s bullying approach clearly seen on TV
• Gradually lost his popularity and public and political support
![Page 18: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Political Impact of McCarthyism
• Republicans attacked the Democrats for being soft on Communism
• Contributed to victory of the Republicans in Presidential election 1951
• US image abroad damaged by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach
• Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded as Communist
![Page 19: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Cultural Impact of McCarthyism
• Less artistic freedom • Films on social issues
less popular• Anti-communist and
purely entertainment films produced
![Page 20: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Impact of McCarthyism on individuals
• Ruined careers of many people who lost their jobs and/or were blacklisted
• Teachers, actors, producers, state employees, journalists etc...
• Some jailed for ‘contempt of Congress’ (117 between 1950 and 1952)
![Page 21: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Impact of McCarthyism on Civil Liberties
• FBI created files and tapped phones of suspected communist sympathisers
• Less freedom of speech due to fear of being accused of being a communist sympathiser
![Page 22: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Impact of McCarthyism on Public Opinion
• Increased fear of and resentment against Communism and USSR and China
• Lack of progress in Korean War could be blamed on enemies operating within the US government
![Page 23: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Impact of McCarthyism on US Foreign Policy
• Presidents and politicians didn’t want to be seen as soft on Communism and were pushed towards a hardline approach to Communist countries
• US gave support to anti-communist groups or regimes in other countries (even if they were undemocratic and corrupt)
![Page 24: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Impact of McCarthyism on Education
• 600 teachers sacked and blacklisted
• HUAC sought ‘reading lists’ from schools and universities
![Page 25: McCarthyism and the Red Scare · 2017. 5. 5. · The ‘American Dream ... by McCarthy’s Witch Hunt approach • Trade unions moderated their demands because of fear of being branded](https://reader035.fdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022071421/611baf595d72c740f418c727/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Role of the media in the Red Scare and McCarthyism
• Newspapers and cinema sometimes fostered anti-communist ideas and hysteria
• But the broadcasts on TV of the Senate hearings helped expose McCarthy’s bullying tactics and contribute to the decline of McCarthyism