Marone Ch. 13—Manifest Destiny and the Cold War
America’s enemies in WWII had redefined “them” and “us”, resulting in the Holocaust. The
image behind concentration camps had an effect on the American view of the next foreign peril,
Communism. Americans held up their own faith as an inspiration to the rest of the world.
The Moral Contest
America viewed the battle with Communism as a moral contest between good and evil.
“There can be no coexistence between the free world and the Communist world.” –Sec. of State
John Foster Dulles, 1954.
Theologians advised Americans not to identify our democracy with the ultimate values of life or
to give a false religious note to the conflict between democracy and communism (380).
 This was hard advice, because “We were on God’s side”
 Soviets silenced their church bells and turned children into atheists.
During the 1930s, churchmen used examples of Soviets to show how our own faith was failing.
But, this ended after WWII.
In the 1930s, people were uninterested in Christianity, but after WWII, membership in U.S.
churches rose 70 percent, and religious identification reached an all-time high.
1950s = God, patriotism, and the American way.
“Our government makes no sense unless it is founded on a deeply held religious faith—and I
don’t care what it is.” –President Eisenhower.
 The world was split between God-fearing good people and godless Communists.
 We added “under God” to our pledge of allegiance so that it was a different pledge than
what little Soviets would be repeating to their hammer-and-sickle flag.
 Billy Graham had a profound effect in bringing people to evangelicalism.
Red Scare
Hollywood made hundreds of anti-Communist films. They all pictured an insidious, invisible
enemy slipping into the nation.
 Movies set out to solve social control. They pushed people to do the right thing and
ensure that our own people don’t subvert the group’s values.
Strange foreign products might endanger the family. Only strong Americans would resist
perilous foreign ideas.
Gender fears came rushing back during the red scare.
 Eve was the weak link
 Cold War danger could leak through women
 Woman would make us too weak to resist
 Mom used to be busy raising a large family and doing chores, but now that she has
nothing to do, she threatens to render every American male a mama’s boy.
Witch-Hunt!
Containing Communism became a moral issue, which incited a witch hunt.
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) attacked Hollywood because it was left. If
the viewers were transformed into Communists, this would have been a large step for our
enemies.
 Hollywood represented New Deal—left-leaning labor militants with loose morals.
 Committee members stood for old-fashioned, small-town, conservative American
values.
Truman’s administration organized a Loyalty Review Board which investigated 4 million
government employees.
States passed anti-red laws prohibiting residents from advocating the violent overthrow of the
gov’t. Texas made membership in the Communist party a felony punishable by up to 20 years in
jail.
Their searches brought up other “unsuitable” such as homosexuals, who were “perhaps as
dangerous as the actual communists” because a man of low morality is a menace in the
government. In 1953, an executive order barred gays and lesbians from federal jobs.
McCarthy—claimed that he had 206 cases of individuals loyal to the communist party. He shook
up the State Department. He worked to come up with dirt on political opponents. He went too far
with his witch hunt. The Republicans had played on the nation’s fears and McCarthy had done
their dirty work. The Democrats were faced with taunts of being too soft on Communism.
The FBI was strengthened through the red scare. The U.S. emerged from the red scare with an
extensive national security state.
Self-Control Meets Sexual Revolution
Smut peddlers were corrupting children and sensationalizing sin. Pornography was linked with
the most vicious crimes in recent history. Smut weakened the moral fiber of the future leaders of
our country.
Comic books were infiltrating the minds of youngsters, exposing them to beatings, shootings,
strangling, and blood puddles.
In WWII, the military tossed out the old illusions about purity in the ranks.
Playboy in 1953. Pornography moved from the dark side street into the most respectable
neighborhoods.
Kinsey published books on scientific findings of sexual behavior. The reports in his books were
astounding and were proof of widespread sexual experience among Americans.
The Supreme Court became looser as far as censorship goes. The courts pulled back on religious
establishments of the Eisenhower years because it is no part of the business of government to
compose official prayer in school.
The FDA approved birth control pills in 1960.
 Physicians slipped into the role as moral gatekeeper.
 The physician balanced parental consent, promiscuity, and the threat of pregnancy.
In the Victorian view, private lives carried consequences for the public good.
In Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) the court struck down an 1879 Connecticut law that made it a
crime to use contraceptive. The court extended privacy to married and unmarried couples,
although they stopped short of applying the same rights to same-sex couples.
The Two American States
New Deal welfare state flourished.
 By the 1950s supporters had won disability insurance and were pushing for Medicare
Formidable national security state
 Gov’t agencies rose up to protect the nation at home and abroad.
 Patriotism, moral strength, self-reliance.
The courts were dismantling the Victorian sexual control regime
Freedom from want summed up the social welfare state.
Freedom from fear called up a national security state.