The Reds are
invading
Objective: Analyze the role of
Communism in America
Std 11.9.3a&b
The Second Red Scare
 Feared that Communism




would take over the world
1949 – China becomes
Communist
1949 – Russia builds their
own nuclear bomb
1950 – Communist North
Korea tries to defeat
South Korea and the U.S.
NK receives military and
financial help from the
Soviet Union and China
Communism in America
 Great Depression -
Americans joined the
Communist Party,
 legal organization
 During and after WWII,
the economy improved
 Trust Stalin (No Way!!!)
 Communists quit their
support of the party
 pasts came back to haunt
them
Loyalty Programs
 Federal Employee Loyalty
Program in 1947
 New government
employees were checked
for possible disloyalty
 Accusation enough to get
someone fired or
prevented from getting a
job
 Millions were
investigated, several
hundred removed from
their jobs, few arrests
Pledge of Allegiance????
Communist Spies in
America
 Alger Hiss
 State Department official
 accused of being a spy –
convicted of perjury (lying to
the court)
 Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
 accused of passing atomic
secrets
 convicted and then executed
in 1953
 Recently released secret
Soviet records indicate that
Hiss and Julius Rosenberg
were guilty, while Ethel was
probably innocent
H.U.A.C.
 The House Un-Americans
Activities Committee
 investigated Communist
infiltration of Government
agencies and the
Hollywood movie industry
 Many in Hollywood used
to be, or still were
Communists
 Hollywood & Government
encouragement, had even
made pro-Soviet Union
films during the war
 Uncle Joe was considered
to be a friend of America
 Hollywood writers and
directors were called before
the Committee
 Witnesses made outrageous
and unsubstantiated
accusations
 “Are you now or have you
ever been a member of the
Communist Party?”
 Hollywood 10 refused to
answer any questions,
 invoking their Constitutional
Rights
 They had to serve jail terms
for 6 months to a year
 Movie studios compiled a
blacklist
 Names who should not be hired
because of possible Communist
ties
 or because they opposed the
idea of a blacklist
Examples
 The Texas State Legislature




made it a felony to belong
to the Communist Party –
up to 20 years in prison
The Texas Governor
threatened to veto the bill –
he thought the punishment
should have been death
In New York city, citizens
had to pledge their loyalty
for a fishing license
In Indiana, professional
wrestlers were required to
take a loyalty oath
In 1954, it became illegal to
be a Communist – the bill
passed Congress by a
combined vote of 365 – 2
Joseph McCarthy
Objective: Analyze the role of Communism
in America
Std 11.9.3a&b
Joseph McCarthy
A. “Tailgunner Joe”
 Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin
elected 1946
 1950 feared reelection in 1952
 “Tailgunner Joe”: WWII vet, but a low
level paper pusher in intelligence
 Ideas against Communism
 Opposed public housing (in support of
real estate cos.)
 Publicly defended Nazi war criminals
on trial for death (to woo German
Americans
Red-Baiting to Power
 Feb. 1950: Wheeling, WV,
speech before Women’s
Republican Club
 Reason for US impotence in
containment:
 traitors collaborating
w/enemy,
 State Department overrun
w/Communist spies
 Holds up a piece of paper
and claims “205 names”
 # came from a HUAC list of
accused officials
Appeal of McCarthyism for Public
 1. Appealed to a variety of fears (catch-all all negative
changes after WWII: women, blacks, union activism,
economic slump), never able to point to a specific action:
accusations empty, but seemed to have substance
 2. Americans wanted to believe (conspiracy mind-set helps
to make sense of a complicated world)
 3. Anti-communism had deep roots in American history
and psyche (always more concerned about the Left than
the Right; 1st Red Scare)
The End of McCarthy
 In the end, presented a list of only 9 names (and
only 4 in State Dept.) to Senate Committee
denounced as a fraud and hoax
 Saved when chief opponent, Millard Tydings (D.
MD) lost seat in election “proof” of power
 With election of Ike in ’52, Republicans hoped he
would give it up (almost no one really believed
there were spies election year tactic): didn’t
The Downfall of McCarthy
 Famous broadcaster Edward R.
Murrow publicly challenged
McCarthy’s character and
accusation on his national
television show
 McCarthy charged members of
the Army of being Communist
sympathizers – he had gone too
far
 Millions of Americans watched
McCarthy crumble in the ArmyMcCarthy hearings over a span
of several weeks
 The word McCarthyism has
come to mean unfair and untrue
accusations to make a person
look bad