1. The Cold War and American Society
The Red Scare & McCarthyism

2. Are we losing the Cold War?
The Red Scare Worsens
The S.U. tests nuclear weapons
China falls to Communism
North Korea still Communist
Known spies in the U.S.
Are we losing the Cold War?

3. The Red Scare
Fearing subversive activity, the government tried to root out Communists in government, Hollywood, and labor unions, while Americans learned to live with the threat of nuclear attack.
Key Terms
Subversion: effort to secretly weaken a society and overthrow its government
Blacklist: a refusal to hire
Censure: senate vote formally disapproving a member’s actions

4. The Red Scare 1945 - Igor Gouzenko defected against the S.U.
admitted to spying
trying to obtain information on the atomic bomb
A general fear of Communist Subversion developed

5. The Red Scare The Loyalty Review Program
Established by President Truman
6 million federal employees were screened for their loyalty
What types of activities were suspicious?
reading certain books
belonging to select groups
traveling overseas
viewing foreign films
14,000 employees faced scrutiny
212 employees fired for questionable loyalty
How do you think Americans responded?
Created more panic in Americans

6. The McCarran Act

7. The McCarran Act Targeted Communist Organizations
Must publish records of meetings
Banned Communist passports / travel abroad
Comm. could be jailed if Nat’l Emergency arose
Checks & Balances at Work!
Congress created the act
President vetoed the act
Congress overrode the veto
Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional
Why?
Gov’t cannot restrict our political freedoms
It tried to remove communism, which is against freedoms, by taking away the freedom to be communist.

8. HUAC – Americans on Trial
House Un-American Activities Committee
Gov’t committee formed to investigate Communist and Fascist activities in the United States
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover expanded HUAC
Hold public hearings on Comm. Subversion
Place FBI agents in suspicious groups
Wiretap phones
Just a side note – this is not on your guide!

9. HUAC – Americans on Trial
House Un-American Activities Committee
Hollywood goes on trial. Why?
Comm. could easily reach millions through movies
Ronald Regan testified there were Comm. in Hollywood
Impact
“Hollywood 10”
Group of actors that refused to cooperate based on 1st Amendment
Creation of the Blacklist – a refusal to hire
Created even more distrust and fear

10. Union leaders required to take an anti-Communist oath
The Red Scare Spreads
Taft-Hartley Act
Union leaders required to take an anti-Communist oath

11. McCarthyism Joseph R. McCarthy – WI Senator
Had a fake list of U.S Gov’t Comm. members
The list never even existed
People followed his vague accusations
Investigations turned into witch hunts
This became known as McCarthyism
Accusations riled so many, that people named others to clear themselves

12. McCarthyism Dies Out McCarthy investigates the U.S. Army
Army’s lawyers fire back:
“Have you left no sense of decency?”
Americans agree
Senate “censured” McCarthy
Formal disproval, but he remained a senator
He died a few years later

13. Literature Connection
Written by Arthur Miller
Called before HUAC to testify about suspicious use of U.S. Passports by various authors.
He refused.

14. Atomic Culture One must be prepared to survive a nuclear attack
Families and towns set up bomb shelters
Schools and communities practiced “Duck & Cover” drills

15. Atomic Culture
This diagram published in The Detroit News in 1952 showed how an air raid warning system set up by Michigan Bell Telephone would work.
When an unidentified plane is spotted the information would be rushed to the Grand Rapids Filter Center
They would relay the message to police posts.
Police would then send out the alarm to various industries and public agencies via a flashing light on Michigan Bell switchboards. 

16. Atomic Culture
This chart purported to show the various levels of radioactivity that could be expected following a widespread nuclear attack.

17. Atomic Culture
This chart published in The Detroit News April 17, 1951, shows the hypothetical effects of a hypothetical nuclear attack on Detroit.