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The 2 nd Red Scare

The 2 nd Red Scare. Fear of Communism during the 1950s. What was the 2 nd Red Scare?. A fear of communism in the U.S. during the late 1940s that lasted into the mid-1950s. People became paranoid about communist spies in America. Causes of the 2 nd Red Scare.

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The 2 nd Red Scare

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  1. The 2nd Red Scare Fear of Communism during the 1950s

  2. What was the 2nd Red Scare? • A fear of communism in the U.S. during the late 1940s that lasted into the mid-1950s. • People became paranoid about communist spies in America.

  3. Causes of the 2nd Red Scare • 1. The Cold War—the Belief that the Soviet Union was trying to take over the world. • 2. The uncovering of actual communist spies. • 3. Republicans using the issue of communism as a political issue—they attack the Democrats as being “soft” on communism.

  4. Truman’s Response to Republicans • Executive Order 9835 • Establishes the Federal Employees Loyalty and Security Program. • Barred communists from federal employment. • Set guidelines for investigating present and perspective employees.

  5. AP—McCarran Act • Internal Security Act—Required all communists to register with the govt.

  6. HUAC • House Un-American Activates Committee • Congressional committee that sought to find communists in the U.S.

  7. HUAC Attacks Hollywood • HUAC members feared that many in Hollywood were communists or communist sympathizers. • Held hearing in which they interrogated witnesses. • If witnesses did not go along and “name names” they were “blacklisted.”

  8. Blacklisting • None of the Hollywood studios would hire a person who had not cooperated with HUAC.

  9. The Hollywood 10

  10. Red Scare Influence on Hollywood

  11. Influence on Society

  12. The Alger Hiss Case • 1948 • Whittaker Chambers—a Time editor and former communist (now a staunch anti-communist)—accused Alger Hiss of having been a communist. • Hiss had worked for the State Department during WWII. • Chambers said Hiss passed govt. secrets to him to give to Russia. • Hiss denied Chambers charges.

  13. Chambers & Hiss

  14. The Pumpkin Papers • Chambers claimed to have proof---microfilm of documents given to him by Hiss. • Chambers hid the microfilm in a pumpkin. (Thus the “Pumpkin Papers”). • He gave the microfilm to Republican Congressman Richard Nixon of CA. • Hiss was convicted of perjury (lying under oath). • Sentenced to 5-years (he served 2).

  15. The Rosenbergs • Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of giving atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets. • They wre members of the communist party. • They denied the charges and refused to cooperate. • They were executed in 1953.

  16. McCarthyism • Named after Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican). • McCarthy was person most famous for making accusations that there were communists everywhere (including the government). • McCarthyism = accusing people of being communist without evidence.

  17. Wheeling Speech • McCarthy gives speech in Wheeling, W.Va in which he claims to have the names of known communists working in the Sate Department. • Makes him famous. • Never produces the names. • Goes on to make more charges.

  18. The Tydings Committee • Millard Tydings (a senator from MD.) Forms a Senate committee to look into the charges made by McCarthy. • The Tydings committee finds that there is no truth to McCarthy’s charges. • McCarthy claims that Tydings against him because he likes communists.

  19. Why McCarthy becomes popular • He quickly becomes the 2nd most famous politican in the 50s (behind IKE). • Many people were afraid of communism during the 2nd Red Scare. They thought McCarthy was helping protect the country. • Republicans liked that he made the Democrats look bad.

  20. Ike and McCarthy • Republicans liked McCarthy when they were not the majority party because his attacks put the Democrats on the defensive. • Once the Republicans get the presidency and control congress, he becomes a headache. • Ike criticizes McCarthy in private, but does not do anything publicly.

  21. McCarthy Committee • McCarthy gets his own committee to investigate communists in the U.S. • Eventually, though, he starts to investigate army.

  22. McCarthy-Army Hearings • Televised. • People see what a bully McCarthy is.

  23. Murrow attacks McCarthy • Edward R. Murrow was a famous reporter. • Had a TV show called, See It Now. • Had a whole episode in which the showed McCarthy was a liar and a bully. • Greatly discredited McCarthy.

  24. The End of McCarthy • Combination of Army hearings and the See It Know episode lead to people turning against McCarthy. • Censured by Senate. • Dies of alcoholism a broken man.

  25. Impact of McCarthyism • Negatively impacted many people’s lives. • Helped to intensify a period of paranoia over communism. • Made it so leftists/ultra liberals were marginalized in American politics.

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