Communism; a threat to the nation of the United States of America. Many Americans believe that people who believe in Communist teachings are corrupt. In 1950, a historical event happened in the US timeline; the Red Scare. Joe McCarthy became a Senator for the state of Wisconsin in 1947. The Red Scare happened from 1947-1957, “The Cold War, which began after the end of World War II, was a period where Americans were extremely paranoid about the threat of Communism.” (“Background to the Red Scare” Par. 1) The Cold War was a period of time where citizens of the United States feared nuclear warfare with the Soviet Union. Joe McCarthy created a list of names that were people of power who were part of the Communist Party. He took a five-city tour,…
They argue that this act is unconstitutional and that Dennis should be considered innocent. It is also argued that there is no evidence of Dennis or his colleagues promoting a violent overthrow. The United States argues that with the best interest of the nation’s security in mind the government should be allowed to restrict individual rights regarding freedom of speech if the individual seems to be proposing a great threat to the nation. With the growing fear in the country at this time due to the Cold War, it was a deep concern that a violent takeover of the government could take place. Therefore, the teaching of communism within the United States clearly proposed a threat which would cause concern and…
There are many similarities and some differences between the issues and conditions in the play The Crucible and the issues and conditions faced by the United States during McCarthyism, but there are more similarities that are important than differences. One similarity would be that if you were a accused, in both situations, it would ruin your reputation. In both cases, you are guilty until proven innocent. Isn’t that unfair? Civilians were scared of communism like those in Salem were of witchcraft.…
Question: compare Canada’s reaction to Communism during the Cold War to China’s reaction to Western Countries during the Cold War.…
After the end of the Second World War in 1945 another war emerged, this war was the cold war. The cold war was a power struggle between Communism and Capitalism. Capitalist Americans were terrified of communists and the chance of being hurled into a nuclear war. The American fear of communism, “the red scare”, caused many citizens to become paranoid. This paranoia lead many Americans into…
Fear, paranoia, and propaganda all dominated the 1940's and 1950's due to McCarthy and his dominating force of communist fear. Many normal families were scared of being caught' a communist, or even worse, communist spies. Yet, there was one couple that was affected more than any if these terrified groups of people; they were the Rosenbergs. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a happily and lovingly married Jewish couple that had been married since 1939. But, on July 17th, 1950 Julius was arrested by the FBI in front of his two sons for conspiracy to commit espionage. Almost a month later Ethel was arrested for her supposed involvement. Accused of being Russian spies that had given Russia secret military information that mostly consisted of the USA's development of the atomic bomb; they put their hope of freedom in their lawyer, Emanual Bloch. Bloch would be relentless in his attempt to convince the jury of the Rosenbergs innocence, and later try to convince the legal system that consisted of the Appellate courts, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court Justices (and even the President) that the death sentence was too harsh of a sentence for the convicted crime; conspiracy to commit espionage.…
When news broke out that communism was in America, the public was astonished and feared what communism in the U.S. government would do. Many politicians baffled on why they were even trying to run for office. What they did not see coming was the popularity that would follow communism in the future. The fear did not come from the Communist Party itself, but the obsession of a small group of people with power to stop the Red Scare that spread rapidly in the America in both the early 1900’s and 1940’s.…
After the Cold War, the fear that communism would have a domino effect on surrounding countries. This scared Americans deeply. Anyone who had different ideas other than Democracy or anyone who spoke out that had Russian descent were profiled. Some well respected figures such a Joseph McCarthy said there was communists in the U.S. Government which frightened Americans. “Our jobs as Americans and as Republicans is to dislodge the traitors from every place where they’ve been sent to do their traitorous work,” said McCarthy.This caused people to accuse innocent people of communism such as writers like Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was thought to be communist because he was an advocate against the inequalities of face in america and because his vocal support of labor and the unions. He also wouldn’t tell the courts who told him stories of injustice and kept those friends private. Mr. Miller and many others were profiled because of the fear of communism in America just like when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the Japanese Americans were outcasted by fear, only for their…
Between the early 1940s and the late 1950s, the United States of America was threatened by the rapid growth of communism in the USSR. Many Americans came to believe that Communist supporters had infiltrated the American borders and were beginning to take over. Among those believers was the Senator of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy gave a speech on communism in front of the Republican women’s group on February 7, 1950, in Wheeling, West Virginia. In this speech, McCarthy addressed that he had a government document listing over two hundred communists who were currently serving in the U.S. Government and military. This serious accusation thus launched the Red Scare in the United States. Arthur Miller alludes to this historical event in his…
McCarthyism was the period in the late 1940's and early 1950's when radicals were removed from every part of the US society. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin blamed several political affiliates of associating with or being communist. McCarthyism succeeded in separating left-wing ideas (and their long history in the working class movements) from American Society. Truman passed the loyalty Act in 1947 which forced government workers to sign anti-communist loyalty oaths to keep their jobs. Many people went to prison during this time where they were faced with poor conditions and abuse. There were many precise areas of American society that McCarthyism touched. In the area of social rule McCarthyism may have terminated much-needed reforms. As the nation's politics swung to the right after World War II, the federal government discarded the incomplete plan of the New Deal. National health insurance, a social reform held close by the rest of the mechanized world, fell to the side. The left liberal political coalition that may have maintained health reforms and related…
After World War II, the United States faced a malevolent philosophical dispute that had spread from within itself. Chapter nine in Thinking Through the Past is titled “Pop Culture as History: The War Comes Home” because it identifies America’s disposition over the subject of communism during the Cold War era. Historian Stephen J. Whitfield writes his secondary source entitled, “The Culture of the Cold War” which presents a detailed analysis pertaining to the lives of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum of anti-communism during the 1950s in United States. Questions arise that carry significance to cultural and social growth during the period: How was communism threatening the US and why? What did the threat of communism do to the culture of the US during the 1950s? Finally, does the secondary source written by Stephen Whitfield align with what is mentioned in primary sources or do they conflict with one another. Communism held a powerful grip on the United States’ cultural development during the 1950s. America was either too ferocious in its’ approach of defeating communism on the home-front as Whitfield suggests, or it’s necessity is overlooked and was prudent to end the political and social agenda of communism in the United States. In either case, communism held an astounding affect on the social aspects of the United States during the 1950s regarding motion pictures, novels, advertisement, music, and much more. Although, the majority of the population in the US sealed communism’s fate as they would not allow it to become apart of the popular culture during the 1950s.…
For fear of people’s sweet, good, pure country being contaminated by commies, senator Joseph McCarthy accused 57 people of being communists (Kelley). A country at fear, the crime for being a communist was treason, a major offense. With no evidence to acquit themselves, the accused became the accusers, making their own claims of a hidden communist. This started a mass uproar of neighbor turning on neighbor, with accusation left and right. With all of the anti-Russia and anti-Communism propaganda, being accused of being a communist was just as bad as being Hitler. So the people’s falsified claims of communists were justified by their fear of associated with a malevolent evil and a life of jail. But that was then and this is now, things are different,…
In the 1950’s there was a massive change in culture and the start of communism was rising up. Communism during this time was everyone’s fear and because of this issue, everyone was starting to get all paranoia. Spies in the US atomic program were passing around secrets to the Soviet Union to set off a nationwide panic that communist spies may be invading many American institutions. In the 1950’s, allegations were made towards Hollywood that they were involved with the communists that was led by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) that investigated many actors, writers, and directors during the 1950s. Unproven communists were placed on a blacklist and they were forbidden from working in Hollywood.…
McCarthyism not only destroyed the lives and careers of many Americans but also the innocent image of the country. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin was the same as any man. But when he cried Communism the world seemed to listen.<br><br>Following the Cold War between Russia and the United States there came many hardships, such as unemployment and high inflation. These hardships produced a restless society. The society then looked for something or someone to blame (Fried, 39). They found someone to blame. Communists. Throughout the country there was a witch hunt known as the Red Scare. A basic idea was formed: Communism was evil. Anyone who participated in such evil was considered illegitimate and were to be excluded from such things as sharing ideas, and jobs (Reeves, 136). This fear of Communism or anti-Communism as it was called could be described as a type of "virus." When all was calm in America the virus would fade, but the moment a crisis struck, the virus came back stronger than ever (Feuerlicht, 35). Communism was a threat not only for countries overseas but a threat for America and its people. It was a threat on the American way of life, a bruise on the phrase "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." (Feuerlicht, 45) And McCarthy helped spread this fear.<br><br>McCarthy and his ways challenged the Bill of Rights. "When free speech or due process are denied to any individual everyone's rights are jeopardized. Today's oppressors may become tomorrow's accursed group." (Feuerlicht, 154) And nothing is guaranteed more than the destruction of America when the freedoms promised by the Bill of Rights are denied (Feuerlicht, 154). McCarthy installed a fear in the people. But people feared tremendously the loss of their jobs. They feared that their political afflictions would reflect on their job status (Reeves, 99). By trying to keep America from becoming a Communist nation, McCarthy and his followers turned the country into an anti - Communist…
Watching the duck and cover makes one think, would hiding under a desk or jacket against a wall really save someone. Seeing this makes one think if living during the time of a nuclear war would be desirable, not that one has the choice but it would have to be a thought. According to this duck and cover video, a nuclear bomb warning can happen at any time and one would find somewhere that was considered safe and a good distance from windows to duck and cover. If one saw a bright flash then they were to duck underneath any clothing available and against any type of structure as soon as they possibly could to protect themselves. This era had to be extremely stressful, especially for the young children this video was being shown too. This video had to wreak havoc on a child’s subconscious.…