Cold War Fears at Home 7.4

At home… Remember: Many Americans had joined communist or socialist organizations during the Depression. Loyalty Programs: all federal employees were subject to investigations

HUAC HUAC: began to probe the U.S. (Especially Hollywood) for Communist influences. The Hollywood Ten: a group of writers, directors, actors, and producers who refused to testify before the HUAC. All were fined or jailed up to a year.

Blacklists People who were seen as un-American or disloyal were blacklisted, which meant that no studios would hire them.

The fear of Communism grows

McCarran-Walter Act Re-instated immigration quotas from the 1920’s. Senator McCarran believed most disloyal Americans were immigrants. –This bill passed over Truman’s veto.

Several domestic spy cases increased the worry of the Red Scare Alger Hiss was a former high ranking official who was put on trial for espionage. Richard Nixon served on the HUAC that investigated Hiss, bringing him into the national spotlight.

According to released Soviet documents, Julius Rosenberg and Algar Hiss were guilty, Ethel was probably not.

New York Times Article Sept 11, 2008

First, there was HUAC. Then came “McCarthyism”

McCarthy’s List 205 known Communists working for the US government –Actually people who had been investigated under Truman’s Loyalty Programs Used this list to catapult himself to fame (he was a nobody rookie senator before this)

1953 Reelected to the Senate –Made Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee to investigate Communist influence in the US Merely being accused by McCarthy’s committee ruins many careers and reputations

Many Senators were afraid to stand up to him for fear of being branded a “pinko” (communist sympathizer)

Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith so strongly opposed McCarthy’s tactics that she made her “Declaration of Conscience” on the Senate Floor in June1950 “Declaration of “Conscience” “Americanism is … The right to criticize; The right to hold unpopular beliefs; The right to protest; The right of independent thought. The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right to a livelihood nor should he be in danger of losing his reputation or livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who holds unpopular beliefs.”

Uses SMEAR TACTICS to intimidate his opponents Even Went after George Marshall –“a conspiracy so immense and an infamy so black as to dwarf any previous venture in the history of man”

1954 McCarthy’s aid is drafted into the Army. McCarthy seeks favored status for his aide, when the Army objects, he accuses the Army being “overrun with Communists”

Senate Sub- Committee votes to investigate the Army, Democrats ask to televise the hearings Americans are shocked to see McCarthy bully and intimidate witnesses

–McCarthy is exposed as a fraud and loses all credibility, and the Senate condemns him. McCarthy accuses the Senate of being Communists

Effects of McCarthyism The US went through an extensive period of suppression of free speech and open debate. ***IT WAS DANGEROUS TO HAVE A DISSENTING OPINION***

Loyalty Programs, Committee investigations, Blacklists and highly publicized spy cases convinced many Americans that the threat of spies was very real and lead to a climate of great suspicion in America. Many people’s civil rights were violated during this period.