Mr Cahill s History 10 Mc Carthy and

Mr. Cahill’s History 10

Mc. Carthy and the Cold War at Home Unit 14

Standards / Indicators • History: – 12: Explain the major domestic developments after 1945 with emphasis on: • B. Mc. Carthyism • Materials needed: notebook and pencil

The “Dot Game” • Each Student will receive a piece of paper • This is only for you to see • Are YOU a good judge of character? – If you paper has a dot in the middle your job is to infiltrate the largest “non dot” group possible – If you have no dot your job is to form the larges “nondot” group possible – The group with the largest non-dot group wins 5 extra credit points. – The person w/ a dot who has infiltrated the largest dot group also wins 5 extra points.

SLIDE 1. 3 A Mc. Carthyism The Birth of Mc. Carthyism [1950] • Republican from Wisconsin • Made speech about 205 known Communist that worked in the State Department • Started a “witch” hunt that lasted for 4 years

Con’t With Slide 1. 3 A • Member of the House Un-American Activities Committee [HUAC] • If you refused to answer you were labeled – “Fifth Amendment Communist” or – “Guilty by association” – His favorite target was Hollywood

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 A • The fear, suspicion, and scapegoating that surrounded his accusations came to be known as Mc. Carthyism • He accused the Democratic Party as being “soft on communism” for their liberal politics

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 A • Americans had a choice between – “communism and republicans” – “Reds” [die heart communist] – “Pinks [gradually lead you to communism] • Being anti-Communist was the only way to save America

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 A • Mc. Carthyism resulted in a political atmosphere that was dominated by anti-Communist fears and tensions across the United States

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 A • Setbacks that contributed to the rise of Mc. Carthyism in the year 1949 – China became a communist state – Alger Hiss a top state department official was convicted as a Soviet spy – Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb – The Rosenbergs convicted of treason and executed in 1953

Slide 1. 3 B Anti-Communist Sentiment in American Society • Mc. Carthyism dominated society and culture during much of the 1950”s. • The impact of Mc. Carthyism was serious and long lasting.

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 B • Lawmaking: laws were passed to curbed communist threat. [such as] – Texas belonging to the communist party was punishable by 20 years in prison – New York oath of loyalty to get a fishing license – Membership in the Communist Party illegal

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 B • Political Discourse – any social program was seen as the path to socialism • socialized medicine for the nation was turned down • polio vaccine was not free • it was seen as “socialized medicine through the back door”

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 B • Education was impacted by anti-communist hysteria – teachers and professors had to take loyalty oaths – textbooks emphasized patriotic themes, and promoted anti-communism propaganda – “Un-American” books were banned and removed from libraries

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 B • The Film Industry Mc. Carthy’s prime target – many entertainers were blacked listed, banished, or jailed for refusing to cooperate – some actors formed anti-Communist groups – studios turned many anti-Communist films

Slide 1. 3 C The End of Mc. Carthyism • Mc. Carthy Falls – he never proved his conspiracy charges nor was any conspirator ever found, soon his power faded and his followers abandoned him – he accused the U. S. Army sheltering Communist • Americans saw through Mc. Carthy’s hectoring and bullying tactics

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 C • Mc. Carthy disgraced generals, congressmen, and even President Eisenhower • He was censured by the Senate in 1954 • He died of liver failure three years later

Con’t with Slide 1. 3 C • Ironies of the anti-Communist hysteria of the Mc. Carthy era – communism never gained a foothold in the U. S. – communist only numbered about 45, 000 people – after FBI prosecution the party numbered fewer than 5, 000 members • many of these people were FBI agents