Red Scare and McCarthyism

Question 1

FBI

Answer 1

• The director J.Edgar Hoover was a strong anti-communist who played a role in arrests during the first red scare
• They investigated Federal government departments for communist spies
• Between 1947-1951 3 million government workers were investigate and 3000 fired

Question 2

House Committee for Un-American Activities (HUAC)

Answer 2

• Set up in 1938 to monitor extremist groups
• It began public hearings on the threat of communism in 1947
• Aimed to educated the public and expose traitors
• In October 1947 they targeted Hollywood, questioning 41 writers, producers and directors
• This increased public reach
• 10 members refused to answer questions and were jailed for a year

Question 3

Hiss Case

Answer 3

• Alder Hiss went on trial for communist spying in 1949
• Although never convicted of spying, he was jailed for 5 years for lying to the court
• Many people thought he had been jailed for spying, increasing fears and seemingly validating J. Edgar Hoover’s claims

Question 4

Rosenburgs

Answer 4

• Ethel and Julian Rosenburg were named for spying by a confession in a separate trial
• They denied charges but despite weak evidence were sentenced to death and executed on 19th June 1953

Question 5

Joseph McCarthy

Answer 5

• Became Republican Senator of Wisconsin in 1946
• Claimed to have a list of members of the communist party working in the US government
• Called Senator Tydings “Un-American” causing him not to be re-elected

Question 6

Methods of McCarthy

Answer 6

• Claimed to have evidence of communists in the State Department
• Partisan in accusations to benefit the republicans
• Accusations and hearings which were public and televised
• Speeches
• Aggression questioning
• Calling those who disagreed with him communist
• Fabricating evidence
• Targeted public figures

Question 7

Reasons for McCarthy’s Downfall

Answer 7

• The televised Army-McCarthy hearing meant the public saw McCarthy’s bullying tactics
• Nobody was ever convicted of spying based on McCarthy’s work
• Cold War tensions had eased slightly after the ending of the Korean War in July 1953
• The media produced an increasing number of anti-McCarthy articles and programes
• McCarthy’s accusations became more extreme
• The army found and sent evidence of McCarthy’s corruption to news reporters

Question 8

Cold war context

Answer 8

• June 1948 Stalin blocked all supply lines into Berlin
• May 1949 supply lines were reopened
• The communists won the Chinese civil war in 1949
• In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea
• The Korean War ended in 1953

Question 9

What were the impacts of McCarthyism?

Answer 9

• People lost their jobs due to allegations
• Thousands of ordinary Americans gave information to the FBI on people suspected of communism
• People were seen as “red” if they had racial ideas
• Fewer workers joined unions for fear of being seen as communist
• Unions had less influence and rarely striked
• Left wing politicians were rarely elected