America During the Cold America During the Cold WarWar

The Red ScareMcCarthyism

The Red ScareThe Red Scare

• The Cold War increased many Americans fear of communist subversion

• Many Americans feared that communists had penetrated American society and were weakening the government

• This led to massive attempt to uncover communists

The Red ScareThe Red Scare

The Red ScareThe Red Scare

• Loyalty checks of government workers began in 1947 because of fear of communist infiltration

The Red ScareThe Red Scare• House Un-American Activities Committee held

numerous public hearings and ruined reputations of blacklisted individuals, including many from TV, radio, and the movies

The Red ScareThe Red Scare

• Some individuals refused to testify and were sent to jail

• People who were accused were often blacklisted– A list of people accused of being disloyal

who were not hired by film companies

The Alger Hiss CaseThe Alger Hiss Case

• Alger Hiss, former State Dept. diplomat, accused of disloyalty by Whittaker Chambers, a confessed Soviet spy– Hiss sued Chambers

for libel, but was convicted of perjury in 1950

– Democrats, many of whom supported Hiss, were seen as soft on communism

McCarthyismMcCarthyism

• Sen. Joseph McCarthy began to speak out against communist influence in the government with a speech in February 1950 in which he contended that the State Dept. was riddled with communists

• Held hearings from 1950-1954– Called people in front of his

committee to defend themselves against unproven charges

– These charges often ruined people’s careers

– McCarthyism has become a word that is used to describe bringing unproven charges against someone to discredit them

McCarthyismMcCarthyism

• McCarran Internal Security Act (1950) required communist and "communist-front" organizations to register with the Justice Dept – Membership lists and financial statements

were required – President was given broad powers to detain

potential enemies– Truman vetoed the bill as "a long step toward

totalitarianism" but it was passed over his veto.

The RosenbergsThe Rosenbergs

• Ethel and Julius Rosenberg arrested, tried, and executed in 1951 for providing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.