1. Public Reaction to the Cold War
McCarthyism and the “Red Scare”

2. HUAC Stands for “House Un-American Activity Committee” Started in 1938
A House of Representatives committee.
Their stated goal was to find Communist infiltration in the United States.
Used Congressional Hearings to question and intimidate people.

3. Alger Hiss – Richard Nixon

4. Hiss - Nixon Most famous case of Soviet Espionage.
The HUAC, conducts congressional hearings with the purpose of locating Soviet Spies.
They are made aware of Alger Hiss.
Hiss uses the trials to deny the claims.
Through the investigation, one of the Congressmen, Richard Nixon, is made aware of microfilm hidden in a pumpkin patch.
Nixon finds the films and holds another hearing to confront Hiss.
This hearing is the first ever televised Congressional Hearing.
Hiss is found guilty of perjury, not treason, later declassified documents show a clear connection that proves Hiss was a Soviet Spy.

5. Red Baiting
This leads to a new political strategy called “Red Baiting”
People and arguments were discredited because they were communists, or they ideas were communist.
In both of his proceeding elections, Richard Nixon won his House races by calling his opponents communists.
Used to silence opposition, and hold critics in check.

6. Attack on Hollywood A major critic of HUAC and the Red Scare.
As a result they were called in front of HUAC for a public trial.
10 Hollywood producers, were called in front of Congress and refused to testify.
Most of the information on Hollywood came from these hearings.
People accused of communism would give up longer listed to avoid being blacklisted.

7. Hollywood 10
Due to their refusal to testify, the 10 producers were jailed.
They were then blacklisted.

8. Hollywood Blacklists
AS a result of the Hollywood Ten, anyone who refused to testify would be blacklisted.
The blacklist grew beyond those accused, and simply started to include people suspected.
Famous Blacklisted Actors
Orson Wells
Harry Bellefonte
Charlie Chaplin
Pete Seeger
Burl Ives
Leonard Burnstein
The Red Scare ended many careers, as Actors suspected of being communist couldn’t find work, and left the field.

9. Pro-HUAC actors Not all of Hollywood protested HUAC.
Walt Disney and Ronald Reagan were two major players that supported the Red Scare.
Ronald Reagan openly appeared in front of Congress to testify.

10. Joe McCarthy Wisconsin Senator.
Led a public campaign to attempt to find communist within our government.
He tried to find “spies” through public inquisition and Senate led trials.
McCarthy attacked US citizens. Using the Senate trials to grandstand, and attack people’s personal lives.
Often times McCarthy had no concrete evidence, but still used the trials to belittle and demean people.
Being accused of the trials often meant having your personal life destroyed.

11. McCarthyism
Became a phenomenon of accusing someone of communism in an attempt to ruin their lives. Joe McCarthy was well known for using these trials to attack people who disagreed with him, or whom he disliked personally.

12. TedEd Talks

13. In the long run…
Most of the people found guilty, but their convictions were later overturned.
Many of the laws and trials were later found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
McCarthyism has a quick decline, and by the end of the 1950s it was over.
Joe McCarthy was censured and removed from the Senate. He would die by 1957.