the cold war at home: mccarthyism
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The Cold War at Home: MCCARTHYISM. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Investigates communist influence inside and outside the government 1947- investigates the movie industry “The Hollywood Ten”- did not cooperate Sent to prison - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Cold War at Home: MCCARTHYISM
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) Investigates communist influence
inside and outside the government 1947- investigates the movie
industry “The Hollywood Ten”- did not
cooperate Sent to prison
Blacklist- list of people considered to have communist backgrounds Careers were ruined
Communists at the State Department:
- Hiss had lied under oath, denying that he was a part of a Soviet spy ring that sent U.S. government secrets to the Soviet Union.
- State Department official Alger Hiss was imprisoned for perjury in 1950.
- Americans, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were accused of stealing nuclear secrets for the Soviets.
- The Rosenbergs were executed for their crimes in 1953.
Example of American fears of Communism:
McCarthy’s reckless claims:
Audio: Senator Joseph McCarthy Responds to E.R. Murrow on CBS's See It Now
· In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy announced that he had a list of 205 State Department employees that were members of the Communist party.
“McCarthyism” definition
Since 1950s- unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence
The Nifty Fifties…
Ike Baby Boom An “affluent” nation Life in the 50s
Suburbs Cars Television Rock n’ Roll Beatniks
Eisenhower (Ike)- 1953-1960
Ike, cont’d
WW2 hero “middle of the road” president Grandfatherly Very popular
Economic growth in 50s
Why??? 1 Federal spending
Roads, houses, schools GI Bill (next slide) Cold War spending
2 Baby boom (3,548,000 “consumers” born in 1950 alone)
3 Increased productivity w/ new technology Computers, nuclear power plants
G.I. Bill
billions of Fed. $ to WW2 veterans Pays for College tuition Cheap loans for homes, businesses,
farms
Baby Boom
“Greatest Generation” grows up in Great Depression (30s), comes of age in WW2 (40s)
1950s?- lots and lots of BABIES!
1950s- Baby Boom
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1930s 1940s 1950s
populationgrowth, inmillions
Growth of Suburbs
“Mass production” of homes GI Bill- cheap loans
50s cars
1956- Interstate Highway Act $250,000,000,000 for highways
Civilians could move out of CITIES MILITARY could quickly move in
event of war Easier to TRANSPORT goods around
country
Television
1946- 17,000 tv’s exist 1950- 7,000,000 sold New era begins
Rock n’ Roll
ELVIS!!! New “Youth Culture”
Beatniks Founders of “counter culture” Reject materialism, shallowness of
50s Sets stage for counterculture of 60’s