The McCarthy Era The Hunt for Communists. Who was Joseph McCarthy? Most famous anti-Communist...
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Transcript of The McCarthy Era The Hunt for Communists. Who was Joseph McCarthy? Most famous anti-Communist...
The McCarthy Era
The Hunt for Communists
Who was Joseph McCarthy?
• Most famous anti-Communist Activist
• Ineffective 1st three years in Senate
• Needed winning issue in 1950 to win– Decided to sound alarm about Communists in
the Government
Tactics• Made one unsupported claim after another
• Various times claimed to have names of 51, 87, and 205 Communists in State Dept.
• Claimed Democrats guilty of “20 years of treason” for allowing communist infiltration.
• Only made claims in Senate so could not be sued for Slander
• Republicans allowed him to go on b/c hoped it would help win them a Republican presidency
McCarthy’s Downfall
• 1954, made accusations against the US army
• RESULT: Nationally televised Senate Investigation
• His bullying of witnesses alienated the audience = cost of public support
• Senate condemned him for improper conduct
• He died 3 years later, suffering from effects of alcoholism
Causes and Effects of McCarthyismCAUSES
• SU establish communist regimes in E. Europe after WW2
• SU develops A-Bomb quicker than expected
• Korean War ends in stalemate
• Republicans gain by accusing Truman/ Democrats of being soft on Communism
Effects
• Millions of Americans forced to take loyalty oaths, undergo loyalty investigations
• Activism in Labor Unions goes into decline
• People are hesitant to speak out on public issues for fear they will be charged as Communists
• Anti-Communism continues to drive US foreign policy.