DOT OR NOT You will receive a slip of paper. Secretly check to see whether the paper is blank, or if it has a dot. Then hide it in your pocket and DO NOT show it to anyone during the game (you will be disqualified) How to Win: Non-dots win the game by forming the largest group of students who are ALL non-dots. Dots win the game by being the ONLY dot in a group.

Dot or not Once the game starts you will have 5 minutes to form groups. You can ask others whether they are dots or non-dots but no one can show their slips of paper during the game. You do not have to join a group, but you cannot win the game unless you are in a group of at least 2 people. You can be a part of a group only if that group agrees that you are a member. If you suspect that someone is a dot, report your suspicion to Mrs. Gabehart.

Dot or not : debrief Game History Some students were dots. Most students were non-dots. Students accused others of being dots even though they never saw the slips of paper. Students were to report suspected dots to the teacher. Some students had sticky notes placed on them. These students were often excluded from groups. Some Americans during the Cold War were Communist Party members or Soviet spies. Most Americans were not Community Party members or Soviet spies. HUAC, McCarthy and others made accusations – based on suspicion against those thought to be communists. Americans were encouraged to report suspected communist activities. Americans accused of being communists were often placed on blacklists

The Communists are taking over the world! The Red Scare The Communists are taking over the world!

The Red scare Began in 1945 when Igor Gouzenko a Soviet clerk defected. Brought Soviet documents revealing a massive effort by the Soviet Union to infiltrate organizations and government agencies in the US goal of obtaining information about the atomic bomb. Stunned Americans. Fears of Communist spies and subversion escalated.

The Loyalty Review Program Truman establishes a program to screen all federal employees Instead of calming Americans it confirms their worst fears. From 1947 – 1951 6 million federal employees screened. Suspected because: Read certain books Belonging to various groups Traveling overseas Seeing certain films Immigrant or foreign family members

The Loyalty Review Program 14,000 employees subject to intensive scrutiny from FBI 2,000 employees quit their jobs (many pressured into it) 212 employees fired for “questionable loyalty” No actual evidence against them was uncovered

HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee formed in 1938 to investigate Communists and Fascists and their activities in the US. Very small organization FBI director J. Edgar Hoover urged the HUAC to hold public hearings on Communist subversion. Once communists were identified the public would isolate them and end their influence. FBI sends agents to infiltrate suspected groups and wiretapped thousands of phones.

Alger Hiss 1948 former Communist Party members testify that government officials were Communist spies Alger Hiss - Lawyer and diplomat under FDR, attended Yalta, organized the UN. Accused of being a communist spy and leaking secret documents. Hiss denied all charges. Convicted of prudery.

The Rosenbergs Other spy cases involved American Communists selling the secrets of the atomic bomb. Many did not believe the USSR could have produced an atomic bomb so quickly (1949) without help. FBI arrests Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Members of the Communist Party Charged with heading a spy ring Denied the charges but condemned to death for espionage. Appeals, public support and pleas for clemency failed. Executed June 1953

Project Verona 1946 American cryptographers working to crack the Soviet spy code. Read approximately 3,000 messages between Moscow and the US Confirmed Soviet spying Not revealed to the public until 1995. Documents show strong evidence that the Rosenbergs were guilty.

The Red Scare Spreads Many state and local governments, universities, businesses, and unions began their own investigations to find Communists. In 1949 Wisconsin Senator Joseph R. McCarthy rockets to the spotlight “While I cannot take the time to name all the men in the State Department who have been named as members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring, I have here in my hand a list of 205 that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department.”

The McCarran Internal Security Act Passed by Congress in 1950 A way to fight “treachery infiltration, sabotage and terrorism” The act made it illegal to “combine, conspire or agree with any other person to perform any act which would substantially contribute to … the establishment of a totalitarian government.” Required all Communist Party and Communist “front organizations” to register with the US attorney general and publish their records. Other restrictions: Communists can not travel abroad. In a national emergency allowed arrest and detention of communists and communist sympathizers Truman vetoed the bill but his veto was overridden.

McCarthy’s Charges Accuses political opponents of having Communist ties or sympathies. Became chairman of Senate subcommittee on investigations in 1952 Forced government officials to testify about alleged communist influences Becomes a witch hunt, based on flimsy evidence and irrational fears Damaging reputations with vague and unfounded charges  known as McCarthyism

McCarthy’s Charges Sensational accusations drew attention of the press Bullied witnesses, badgered them with questions and refused to accept their answers Afraid to challenge him for fear of becoming targets 1954 starts to look for spies in the US Army on TV  Army – McCarthy hearings Us Army investigations found no spies “Have you no sense of decency sir?” Censured by the senate and lost power and influence