mccarthyism: reds in america
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McCarthyism: Reds in America. Loyalty Review Board. Truman’s response to Republican claims he was soft on communists Board was to determine if any government employee was disloyal to the government 91 “subversive” groups listed – membership drew suspicion - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
McCarthyism: Reds in America
Loyalty Review Board Truman’s response to Republican claims he
was soft on communists Board was to determine if any government
employee was disloyal to the government 91 “subversive” groups listed – membership
drew suspicion 3.2 million investigated – 212 dismissed – 2900
resigned Felt civil rights violated Never allowed to see the evidence about them
HUAC House Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC) – A congressional committee that investigated charges of communism inside and outside U.S. government agencies
Went after movie industry – claimed that they used propaganda (looked at films made during WW2 that were pro-Soviet)
Hollywood Hollywood Ten – ten witnesses that refused to
cooperate on grounds that the hearings were unconstitutional – they were sent to prison
Hollywood executives responded with a blacklist of those individuals that they deemed were communists
McCarran Internal Security Act – unlawful to plan any action that might lead to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship Truman vetoes act that it is unconstitutional to punish
men for their opinions Congress enacted law over Truman’s veto
Spies Among Us – Alger Hiss Former State
Department official Accused by Whittaker
Chambers (former Communist spy) of spying for the Soviets
Chambers produced microfilm of government documents claimed to have been typed on Hiss’s typewriter
Spies Among Us – Alger Hiss Statute of limitations
up for espionage charge – instead convict him of perjury
Richard Nixon prosecuted Hiss
1990s Soviets released cables that confirmed Hiss’s guilt
Spies Among Us – The Rosenbergs
Ethel and Julius September 3, 1949 -
Soviets explode atomic bomb though U.S. experts had said that the Soviets should still be 3-5 years behind
Fear that U.S. individuals were giving Soviets our secrets
Spies Among Us – The Rosenbergs
Ethel and Julius German-born physicist,
Klaus Fuchs admits giving Soviets info on American atomic bomb
Implicated with Fuchs is Ethel & Julius Rosenberg, minor members of the American Communist Party
Spies Among Us – The Rosenbergs When asked if they were communists the Rosenbergs
plead the fifth amendment
Claimed they were being persecuted because they were Jewish and they held radical beliefs
They were found guilty of espionage & sentenced to death
Worldwide call for clemency that was denied
1st Americans executed for espionage – electric chair
McCarthyismJoseph McCarthy
Ineffective Junior senator from Wisconsin
Needs issue to get reelected – Communism
Made continuous unsupported accusations of Communism - no substantiating evidence
McCarthyismJoseph McCarthy
Made all his claims in the Senate – immunity
Never produced a name but claimed to have at any time 50-200 names
Blamed Democrats for “20 years of treason” – Republicans did not respond – want 1952 presidency
McCarthyismMcCarthy’s Downfall
Senator Margaret Smith and 5 other senators take him on
McCarthy makes accusation against U.S. Army (1954)
Televised Senate investigation His bullying tactics cause him to lose public
support Condemned by the Senate for improper
conduct
McCarthyismMcCarthy’s Legacy
By 1953 – 39 states pass laws making it illegal to promote the overthrow of the government
Laws were later deemed unconstitutional and overturned because of freedom of speech
Every industry was investigated for communist activity