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Fear of Communism Spreading to America

Fear of Communism Spreading to America. In the early years of the Cold War, many Americans believed that the security of the U.S. was at risk. Communism had already spread to Eastern Europe, China and North Korea. Was the U.S. next?

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Fear of Communism Spreading to America

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  1. Fear of Communism Spreading to America • In the early years of the Cold War, many Americans believed that the security of the U.S. was at risk. • Communism had already spread to Eastern Europe, China and North Korea. Was the U.S. next? • By 1944, about 100,000 Americans claimed membership in the Communist Party. Where was the loyalty of these American Communists?

  2. McCarthyism and the Red Scare • Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin began making unsupported accusations in 1950 that communism had infiltrated the State Department. • Claimed at one time to have the names of 205 communists in the U.S. Government. • All accusations were made on the Senate floor with no evidence because he has immunity on the Senate floor.

  3. McCarthyism • In 1954, McCarthy accuses the U.S army of being full of communists (that is why the Korean War ended in a stalemate according to him). • The senate investigates the accusations and find McCarthy to be instable and acting illegally. • McCarthy dies in 1957 from alcoholism.

  4. Guilty until proven innocent?

  5. Witch? Does she float?

  6. Monty Python: “She’s a Witch!” http://mustikka.oulu.fi/video/witch.htm

  7. LOYALTY REVIEW BOARD • President Truman did not want to appear as if he was soft on communism so he established the Federal Employee Loyalty Program. • Purpose: to investigate government employees and fire those who were found to be disloyal. • 3.2 million employees were investigated between 1947-51. 212 employees were fired for “security risks.” 2,900 resigned. • Individuals under investigation were not allowed to see the evidence against them. Against constitutional rights?

  8. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) • In 1947, HUAC, which was chaired by J. Parnell Thomas, started an investigation into the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry. • The HUAC interviewed 41 people who were working in Hollywood. These people were interviewed voluntarily and were known as friendly witnesses supporting the accusations that Communists had infiltrated the movie industry.

  9. THE HOLLYWOOD TEN • The Friendly witnesses named nineteen people who they said were pro communists. • Ten of those people refused to answer any questions during the hearings thus became known as the Hollywood Ten. • The ten men claimed that the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution gave them the right to refuse to answer questions about their beliefs. • The HUAC and the courts disagreed and all ten men were found guilty of contempt of congress. • Each of them was sentenced to between six and twelve monthsin prison.

  10. BLACKLISTS • Blacklist=a list of people condemned for being Communists. • About 500 actors, writers, producers, and directors had their careers ruined because they could not find work. • Paul Robeson (Actor): income fell from $150,000 a year to $3000 a year.

  11. Alger Hiss • In 1948, American Alger Hiss was accused of spying for the Soviet Union. • Hiss was a U.S. State Department official involved in the establishment of the United Nations. • Convicted and serves just under 4 years in prison. • The case causes fear and panic to spread across America.

  12. Soviet Union Develops the Atomic Bomb • Klaus Fuchs, a German born physicist, had worked on the Manhattan Project and gave the Soviet Union information enabling them to develop their own atomic bomb about 5 years sooner than they would have.

  13. RDS-1 • First Soviet Union atomic bomb exploded on September 3, 1949. • Fuchs served just under 9 ½ years in prison before returning to live in Germany.

  14. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg • Klaus Fuchs implicated Ethel and Julius Rosenberg as being American spies for the Soviet Union and working closely with Fuchs in passing information on to the Soviets. • Both are found guilty of espionage and electrocuted on June 19, 1953. • The Rosenberg spy case spreads more panic across America.

  15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXtKwXb91zo&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=activeSalem Witch Trials-The Red Scare

  16. Causes and Effects of McCarthyism Causes: • Communist take over of Eastern Europe and China after WWII. • Soviets developed the atomic bomb more quickly than expected. • Korean War ends in a stalemate. Effects: • Millions of Americans are forced to take loyalty oaths and undergo loyalty investigations. • Many people are afraid to speak out on public issues. • Anti-Communism continues to drive U.S. foreign policy.

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