Ellen Schrecker’s The Age of Mccarthyism begins with an extensive essay consisting of a following of the path of domestic subversion within the USA starting in the 1930’s to the 1950’s. She explains the starting points and the peak of the rising anti-communist campaign in the states. Due to the struggle against the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, the anti-communist movement became the ideological center of American politics. Joseph McCarthy, U.S. senator, became the notorious face of a period during American history characterizing the widespread fear of Communist subversion. He explained the American people that communist and soviet spies had infiltrated almost everything people felt were their safety nets (the government, school,
During this time it was crucial that everyone stayed loyal to their country. There was a war going on called the Cold War. if you were being disloyal to your county you could get brutally punished. On October 10,1947 members of Hollywood film industry announced communist influence in the american motion picture business (WIlliams). McCarthy accused the Hollywood blacklist of communist which changed their life dramastically.
In the 1950’s mass hysteria spread like wildfire across the country and it didn’t just affect the individuals that were accused of communism, it affected everyone. Everyone was walking on their tippy toes. Paranoid that they will reveal too much information about themselves and people would think they were communist. Even though there was an active communist party in America it was very small. Meaning that there wasn’t really a need to freak out like everyone did.
In the 1940 's and 1950 's, an anti-Communist movement swept the United States of America. Fueled by the anti-Communist actions of Congress, particularly a Senator from Wisconsin by the name of Joseph McCarthy, the movement escalated and many people lost their jobs as a result of various blacklists. Congressional hearings, both in front of HUAC and McCarthy Senate committee were a study in organized persecution. The actions taken during the "Red Scare" were eventually given the general name McCarthyism. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.
These years are often referred to as the “McCarthy era”, named after a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who blamed many of his colleagues of Communist subversion. In many cases, defendants were pitted against their own friends, whose only evidence were their words. Cultural and racial bias ran rampant, and often those accused of a crime against the country, such as espionage or conspiracy of espionage, were not given fair trials. In one such case, a husband
Civil Rights and McCarthyism In American history, the 1950s consisted of a decade of opposites. On the one hand, it was a period of wealth, consumerism. On the other side, it was a period of persecution, fear, and obedience. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union promoted an environment of fear and suspicion that affected all aspects of life.
Many people were accused of being a communist. These accusations are associated with the term McCarthyism. McCarthyism was carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy and this campaign took off right after he gave a famous speech about communism. According to an online source, “McCarthy's charges were never documented, but his speech set off a nationwide search for communists and communist sympathizers within the government and in positions of influence throughout American society” (Hastedt). This displays that Senator McCarthy was targeting those with government positions, so he could possibly hold a higher position in the government.
With all of the accusations going around, people were forgetting that everyone can have their own opinion. Edward R Murrow, a television host of See It Now bashed McCarthy by saying “’We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty’” (Roberts, 2). Murrow was saying that just because a person disagrees with what the president or a government official says, does not mean they are a communist. The United States has freedom of speech, and citizens can say whatever they want about the government.
Senator Joseph McCarthy was a merciless politician who would be censured by the Senate in 1954 for his false accusations. However, his political journey throughout the country had a significant impact on the American public. Americans let fear override their conscious and allowed a bully to insert panic into their minds. McCarthy’s crusade was powerful and convinced the naive public during a time of war to question their own government without sufficient
McCarthy manipulated the media, told outrageous stories about the communist conspiracy in the United States, and used his power and America’s fear to besmirch any opponents as “communist sympathizers” to make sure he remained at the top. Actually, most conservative members of Congress supported McCarthy because it helped them gain votes during elections. The majority of McCarthy 's movement attacked liberals and members of the Democratic Party and this aided anyone who was not part of those topics and organizations. Then McCarthy began to target the Army because they wouldn’t favor David Schine, one of his former investigators, who had been drafted in. “Senator Joseph McCarthy began hearings investigating the United States Army, which he charged with being ‘soft’ on communism.
It was derived from the fear and hatred they had deep inside them. Mccarthy used this plot to get rid of his opponents and secure him a prime spot for a next term as a senator. McCarthy’s trials were no different to The Salem witch trials by raising suspitions he was able to destroy lives with a written list. Although people tried to contradict his allegations the majority’s fear of communists clouded the court’s judgement. They had no remorse for the aftermath of their doings.
McCarthyism was a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party. In these two events, many similarities
Now back in the 50s, communism was an event that if you were just simply accused of being a communist no one would
In 1950s United States, open homosexuality was taboo and legislature in every state had passed anti-sodomy laws. U.S. politicians in the McCarthy Era viewed being gay as tantamount to antinationalism. Gays were perceived as a threat to national
In a time of economic prosperity, a rise in the standard of living and rock and roll, also known as the “happy days”, the 1950s were a time looked back on with nostalgia. On the other hand, the 1950s were also met with many problems involving civil rights, the Cold War and McCarthyism. After the end of World War II, Americans came home to jobs available and a period of consensus. Consensus meaning there wasn’t much debate in politics. However tensions quickly rose throughout the nation when Joseph McCarthy made serious accusations about the State Department.
