McCarthyism “No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices.” -Edward R. Murrow

Duck and Cover Bert the Turtle

Aim: How did the Cold War build an atmosphere of paranoia? Key Terms: McCarthyism Edward R. Murrow Executive Order 9835 (1947) Rosenberg’s The McCarran Act (1950) Communist Control Act of 1954 House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) Essential Questions: What type of social climate existed that allowed McCarthyism to reach the levels of hysteria that it did? How are Amendment rights and democratic principles challenged in this Cold War Era? Did Americans have something to fear?

What do Americans fear? especially in the 1950s… List 5 fears Being different (non-conformist) Communism/Socialism The other (ethnicity, religion, etc.) Poverty – not getting the American Dream Taking away of ownership rights

Document Focus Questions What were the opposing responses of our government to the red scare? What should our response have been? Doc. #2: How did American laws and agencies reflect our society’s fears? Were such laws a necessity at the time? Doc. #3: What perception did these media outlets provide of McCarthy? Were they fair/accurate? Doc. #4: Were there real threats to the government during the Cold War? Provide evidence.

Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that he knew the names of hundreds of communists working in the State Department

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg U. S Julius and Ethel Rosenberg U.S. citizens executed for conspiracy to commit espionage (spying) for the Soviet Union How are Amendment rights and democratic principles challenged in this Cold War Era?

Communist Control Act of 1954 Section 2 The Congress hereby finds and declares that the Communist Party of the United States, although purportedly a political party, is in fact an instrumentality of a conspiracy to overthrow the Government of the United States…Unlike political parties, which change policies and programs through public means and by voting, the policies and programs of the Communist Party are secretly prescribed for it by the foreign leaders of the world Communist movement…Therefore the Communist Party should be outlawed. How did American laws and agencies reflect our society’s fears?

What happened to McCarthy? By 1954, McCarthy lost the support of much of his party because of his controversial tactics. President Dwight D. Eisenhower pushed for an investigation of McCarthy’s charges, and the televised hearings exposed the senator as a reckless and excessive tyrant who never produced proper documentation for any of his claims. On December 2, after a heated debate, the Senate voted to condemn McCarthy for conduct “contrary to senatorial traditions.”

Justice Byron White – appointed by JFK in 1962 and served until retiring in 1993; not as liberal as expected (esp. on Miranda and Roe); very fact specific view of cases.