1. McCarthyism
Second Red Scare

2. 2 Events add to fear of communism
#1 Soviet Union has atomic weapons
#2 China becomes communist
Nationalist gov’t led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan
Mao Zedong became the communist leader after winning the civil war

3. Communist investigations in the US
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in charge of investigating radical groups
Federal Employees were also investigated to ensure their loyalty – Loyalty Review Board
Proof that the Truman Administration would fight communism

4. Hollywood Ten
HUAC called 10 Hollywood writers and directors to answer questions about their own beliefs and that of their friends
They refused to answer so they were found guilty of contempt of Congress

5. After the case many in Hollywood gave up the names of possible Communists and those who did not were blacklisted
Blacklisted = Hollywood employers would not hire them

6. Spy Cases Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, 1951
Accused of passing secrets to the Soviets
Found guilty and executed

7. Spy Cases
Alger Hiss, 1948
American gov’t official accused of being a spy
Found top secret gov’t film at his farm
Unable to be charged with spying (too many years passed since the incident)
Convicted of lying under oath and sentenced to prison

8. Spy Cases
Klaus Fuchs, 1950
Worked on Manhattan Project and gave atomic secrets to Soviets
14 years in prison

9. Senator McCarthy US Senator from Wisconsin
In speech, he claimed to know of 205 known communists working for the US Department of State
In a later speech he even waived a list of names

10. McCarthyism
Senate committee looked into his claims but found no evidence
American public still felt McCarthy was nation’s top communist fighter
Used his fame to make even more accusations, which public believed
McCarthy created fake photos of Senator Millard Tydings
Americans believed photos and Tydings was defeated in next election

11. Thousands of people were fired for political reasons
McCarthy’s fall came when he claimed the US Army was protecting communists
This Senate hearing was televised and Americans saw first hand McCarthy’s controversial interrogation tactics
McCarthy lost all Credibility after the hearing