McCarthyism

1. McCarthyism A special presentation made just for my fabulous students

2. How many people think that people wrote revealing information on the questionnaire? Why? • How many people think that some people feared they had done something wrong? • Do you think this was an effective way of getting information?”

3. Ethics of this Questionnaire • How many people were upset that you had to fill out this questionnaire? • Why were you upset? • What do you think about the way in which I tried to get information? Was that fair?

4. Defect • Defect means to leave a country, political party or alliance to go and join another • to desert • Example: During the Cold War many Soviets defected to the USA.

5. Prisoner’s Dilemma • One dilemma derives from an situation concerning two suspects questioned separately by the district attorney. • They are both guilty: however, the District Attorney has only enough evidence to convict them of a lesser offense. So the DA creates an incentive for each to confess privately.

6. The choices: • If one confesses and the other doesn’t, the DA will grant the confessor immunity (and will use the confession to convict the other of the maximum offense). • If both confess, each will receive a moderate sentence. • If neither confesses each will receive a light sentence.

9. Who are Julius and Ethel?

10. Jewish married couple living in New York with 2 sons. • Members of the American communist party • Accused of spying • Found guilty for passing nuclear weapons secrets to the Soviet Union.

12. Facts of the case • Trial begins March 6, 1951. • The prosecution’s primary witness is David Greenglass. He stated that Ethel typed notes containing U.S. nuclear secrets in the Rosenberg apartment in September 1945 Who is David Greenglass?

13. Ethel and her brother David Greenglass

14. Another key witness was David Gold David Gold- He was a chemist who had never met Ethel and Julius but was given a jello box from a Soviet saying “I come from Julius.” Question What do you think happened to David Gold and David Greenglass?

15. They both received a shorter sentence • They both received a shorter sentence. • Gold only served 15 years of his 30 year sentence. • Greenglass served 7 years of his 30 year sentence. Did Ethel testify against husband?

16. No, she pleaded the fifth amendment as did her husband. The result was that they were both executed in June, 1953 leaving behind there two sons.

18. Demonstrations

19. This trial was very controversial, why do you believe many people protested the fate of the Rosenbergs? • Do you believe this trial was fair? • Do you believe their conviction was fair?

20. Today • David Greenglass was released from Prison in 1960 and lives under an false name. • His wife was never indicted. • In 2001, Greenglass claimed that he had lied when he testified about the typing activity of his sister Ethel. • He chose to falsely testify against his sister in order to protect his wife and children.

22. The Rosenbergs' two sons, Robert and Michael • They were adopted by Abel Meeropol who wrote wrote the classic anti-lynching anthem "Strange Fruit.” • Michael is an economics professor and Chair of the department at Western New England College, a small private college in Springfield, Massachusetts. • Robert founded the Rosenberg Fund for Children, a non-profit foundation that provides support for children whose parents are Leftist activists involved in court cases. • Robert is a lawyer that fights the death penalty. His opposition is now grounded in his basic belief that the death penalty is a human rights abuse

23. Robert is a lawyer in Massachusetts What cause do you think he support?

24. Michael is a Economics Professor