Loyalty Program & HUAC
Loyalty Program
• In 1947, President Truman ordered the
investigation of the loyalty of more than 3
million employees.
• He wanted to find all communists and
WEEEEEEEEEEEED ‘em out!
Purpose the Loyalty Program
• Effort to demonstrate ANTI-communism
• Designed to catch spies and communists
• Banned anyone who had or continued to
belong to the Communist party
Security Risks
• People that were thought to risk the well
being of the United States.
• Communists and spies were the two main
targeted groups thought to be “security
risks”
• Truman went into businesses and
investigated their employees, and decided
if they could keep their jobs or not.
• Truman would check; crimes, violent
overthrow, breach of official duty, or
disclosure of confidential information or
membership in or association with any
subversive organization.
• Over 500,000 workers checked each year.
• 4.5 million names were checked in the
course of 10 years.
• Truman issued another order to keep his
investigations in secrecy.
• 5,000 people voluntarily resigned
• And 378 were actually dismissed or
denied.
• REDDDDDDDDDD
HUAC Program
• House on Un-American Activities
Committee: Used to get rid of communists
in the government.
• Targeted people who were thought to be
“Un-American”. People like Communists,
Radicals, and people who spoke out
against the government.
Differences
• H.U.A.C.- specific law, focused on
government workers
• Loyalty program- more of a program, no
direct involvement in the house committee
Closure
• Who started the Loyalty Program?
• What group the Loyalty Program want to
get rid of?
• What are Security Risks?
• What does HUAC stand for?
• What makes HUAC and the Loyalty
Program similar?
• What makes HUAC and the Loyalty
Program different?
Cites
• http://www.suite101.com/content/huac-and-thenew-deal-a43354
• http://www.ohiohistory.org/historyworksohio/
timeline/timeline_display.cfm?ID=241
• http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/object
s/577/590960/powerpoints/ppt/chp27.ppt
• http://www.history.com/this-day-inhistory/truman-orders-loyalty-checks-of-federalemployees