MCCARTHYISM
Communist Paranoia in the 1950’s
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Why was everyone so scared of the Reds?
The 1950’s was a decade of post-war patriotism.
people generally respected their elders.
Authority was rarely questioned.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Joseph McCarthy
Republican
Senator, Wisconsin
accused people of being
Communist with little or no
evidence.
grew popular in the early
50’s.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Examples of McCarthyism:
HUAC (House Un-American
Activities Committee)
created the “Hollywood
Ten”, blacklisted actors,
directors, screenwriters,
etc...
Richard Nixon was a member
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Examples continued...
Alger Hiss
Lawyer/State Dept. accused
of being a Soviet Spy.
found guilty of perjury,
regarding his relationship
with Whittaker Chambers.
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The Pumpkin Papers
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Examples continued...
Ethel & Julius Rosenberg.
convicted and sentenced to
death for giving atomic bomb
secrets to Soviet Union.
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David Greenglass, the real
criminal and Ethel’s brother.
received 15 years in prison.
information passed on to the
Soviets probably was not very
useful anyway.
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McCarthy’s downfall:
Edward R. Murrow’s T.V. criticism.
Army-McCarthy Hearings, 1954.
President Eisenhower never liked him.
Alcoholism factored into his life.
died of liver disease in 1957.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
McCarthy’s Impact on the Cold War:
The paranoia he created led to a misunderstanding of “the
enemy”.
Foreign Policy was centered on containing Communism
regardless of the circumstance.
McCarthy was 1 example of many that led to public’s lack of trust
in the government, which helps o create the rebellious 1960’s.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid
Blues, by Bob Dylan:
Well, I was feelin' sad and feelin' blue,
Well, I wus lookin' everywhere for them gol-darned Reds.
I got up
I didn't know what in the world I was gonna
do,in the mornin' 'n' looked under my bed,
Looked in the sink, behind the door,
Them Communists they wus comin' around,
Well, I quit my job so I could work alone,
Looked in the glove compartment of my car.
They wus in the air,
Then I changed my name to SherlockCouldn't
Holmes.find 'em . . .
They wus on the ground.
Followed some clues from my detective bag
They wouldn't gimme no peace. . .
And discovered they wus red stripes Ion
thelookin'
American
wus
high flag!
an' low for them Reds everywhere,
That ol' Betty Ross . . .
I Now
wus lookin'
in the sink
underneath
Eisenhower,
he's an'
a Russian
spy, the chair.
So I run down most hurriedly
I Lincoln,
looked
way
up my and
chimney
hole,
Jefferson
that Roosevelt
guy.
And joined up with the John Birch Society
(1.),
Well, I investigated all the books in the
library,
even
deep there's
inside my
bowl.
mylooked
knowledge
justtoilet
one man
I got me a secret membership card I To
Ninety percent of 'em gotta be burnedThey
away.
gotreally
awaya .true
. . American: George Lincoln Rockwell (2.).
That's
And started off a-walkin' down the road.
I investigated all the people that I knowed,
Yee-hoo, I'm a real John Bircher now! I know for a fact he hates Commies cus he picketed the movie Exodus (3.).
Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go.
Well, I wus sittin' home alone an' started to sweat,
Look out you Commies!
The other two percent are fellow Birchers
just started
like
Figured
they
wusme.
in my
T.V. set.
Well,. .I .fin'ly
thinkin'
straight
thethings
picture
When Ibehind
run outa
to frame,
investigate.
Now we all agree with Hitlers' views, Peeked
a shock
from my
feet,
hittin' right
Couldn't
imagine
doin'
anything
else,up in the brain.
Although he killed six million Jews. Got
Reds
it! investigatin' myself!
So now
I'm caused
sittin' home
It don't matter too much that he was a Them
Fascist,
I Hope
know they
did
. . out
. them
hard-core
ones. great God!
I don't
find
anything
. . . hmm,
At least you can't say he was a Communist!
That's to say like if you got a cold you take a shot of malaria.
2. founder of American-Nazi Party.
3.1960 film, about founding of Israel.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
1.conservative political organization, anti-communist