QUIZ

Look over your notes from last time.
A New Red Scare, Pumpkin
Papers, and a New Round
of Witch Trials: America
Fights Communism on the
Home Front
Chapter 19, Section 3 and 4
RED SCARE! (Again…)

As Cold War tensions increased after WWII,
Americans became increasingly afraid of
Communism in the United States. To deal with
this, the U.S. creates:
– The Loyalty Review Program: To screen gov’t
employees for Communist ties
– The HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE
(HUAC) to investigate Communism.
– Hollywood actors were asked to testify before HUAC.
If they wouldn’t help, they were BLACKLISTED. (Ex.
The “Hollywood Ten”)
– J. EDGAR HOOVER sends the FBI to investigate
groups suspected of Communism
The Pumpkin Papers
People get even more freaked out when there is
evidence of Communism on the home front.
 1948 – A magazine editor named WHITTAKER
CHAMBERS accuses high-ranking gov’t official
ALGER HISS of being a Communist and a spy.
 When Hiss denies it, Chambers produces secret
documents from the State Dept. that
incriminated Hiss. (Chambers said he had kept
the documents in a hollow pumpkin).

The Rosenbergs
Things get worse in 1950 when ETHEL
and JULIUS ROSENBERG were accused of
sending information about the atomic
bomb to the U.S.S.R.
 They were executed for ESPIONAGE in
1953.
 A Soviet code-breaking project known as
PROJECT VENONA suggests that the
Rosenbergs were guilty as charged.

McCARTHYISM
In 1950, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
named JOSEPH McCARTHY gives a speech
saying that he has a list of 205 known
Communists in the STATE DEPARTMENT.
 McCARTHY continues to make allegations,
but he never shows evidence or produces
a list.

In 1952, McCarthy becomes head of the
Senate Subcommittee on Investigations.
He forces government officials to testify
about Communism.
 McCarthy’s scare tactics and baseless
accusations become little more than a
“witch hunt.” His tactics become known
as McCARTHYISM.
 In 1954, he goes too far. He begins to
accuse members of the U.S. Army of
Communism. People see finally see
through his tactics, and he is CENSURED.

Fear the Bomb…
By 1953, the U.S.S.R. (and later the U.S.)
had a HYDROGEN BOMB.
 Children in schools were taught to get
under their desk in the event of a nuclear
disaster (like that would help…)
 Families build FALLOUT SHELTERS to
protect themselves from nuclear radiation.

Election of 1952
Truman decides not to run again in 1952. The
Democrats run Adlai Stevenson – he gets
stomped by the Republican, Dwight D.
Eisenhower.
 Eisenhower is not afraid to use nuclear
weapons. He reduces military spending, but he
increases the U.S.’s # of nukes.
 This policy of containment through the use of
nuclear weapons is known as MASSIVE
RETALIATION

Ike, who many people Liked
Sputnik
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union
launches the first artificial satellite. The
U.S. becomes scared that the Soviets are
producing technology much more rapidly.
 Because of this, Congress creates the
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
ADMINISTRATION (NASA) and the
NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION ACT
(NDEA)

BRINKSMANSHIP
Despite critics, Eisenhower and his Sec. of
State John Foster Dulles, defend their
increase in nuclear weapons.
 This idea – being ready to go to the brink
of war to force your enemy to back down
– becomes known as BRINKSMANSHIP.

Trouble with China

Eisenhower ends the war in Korea by
suggesting to China that nuclear weapons
might get used.
– Little territory is exchanged and there is no
winner declared
Later, China attempts to take the island of
TAIWAN, Eisenhower threatens to use nuclear
weapons again.
TROUBLE IN THE SUEZ
Eisenhower threatens nuclear action again
when EGYPT seizes control of the Suez
Canal. When the British and French
respond with force, the Soviets vow to
help Egypt.
 The U.S. convinces GB and France to back
down, but it helps increase Soviet
influence in the Middle East

The CIA

Eisenhower uses the CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA) to provide
DEVELOPING NATIONS with financial aid
and put pro-American leaders in power.
Francis Gary Powers and the U-2
incident
By 1953, Nikita Khrushchev had become the
leader of the Soviet Union. This does not help
U.S.-Soviet relations.
 Eisenhower and Khrushchev try to patch things
up at a summit in 1960, but right before it
happened, spy plane pilot FRANCIS GARY
POWERS got shot down over the U.S.S.R.
Eisenhower refused to apologize for spying, and
Khrushchev stopped the summit.
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