Preview

The Role Of Communism In The 1950's

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
302 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Role Of Communism In The 1950's
The 1950’s dealt with threats from the USSR and Communism which scared many people in the United States and soon became a full-fledged paranoia. There was fear of falling behind the advances of the Communist countries, especially among the Soviet Union, creating the Red Scare. As the Cold War with the USSR escalated, Americans increased their suspicions of Communist influences. Due to this, a special committee was formed in order to investigate Communists in America known as HUAC (The House Un-American Activities Committee). In 1947, HUAC accused ten people in Hollywood of supporting communist propaganda becoming blacklisted. As time went on, more individuals were being suspected of being Communists which eventually led to the act of McCarthyism

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    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,…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the 1950’s the world had just come out of the greatest war in human history. In the aftermath of this war many countries turned to communism. It was against this threat of communism that the Australian government reacted in such a wide variety of ways. Although there were a wide variety of ways in which Australia reacted there were perhaps three that were the most prevalent and influential. Firstly Australia sent troops to fight in Korea to avoid and prevent the spread of communism and the start of the domino effect in South Asia. Secondly the Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies put forward the bill that would ban the communist party in Australia and make being communist illegal. Finally Australia also sought to establish treaties and relationships with other non-communist countries to provide Australia with an adequate defence, and also to help limit the spread of communism through. It was these strategies that made up Australia’s reaction to communism.…

    • 891 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    McCarthyism, or the time known as the McCarthy Era, dominated our country from 1950-1954. During this time, there were many hearings in which people suspected of being related in some way to communism were interviewed and forced to give up names of others. If they refused to give up names of others, they were put in prison.…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Communism is a system where there is no private ownership of business or property and the country’s wealth gets shared among the population. Vladimir Lenin started the communist international which was an organisation with an aim of spreading communism throughout the world. Communism really was a threat to Australians in the 1950s, the events of the Korean War, different alliances being formed, the banning of the Communist party of Australia (CPA) and the Petrov affair all tell us that communism could spread to Australia.…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During what was known as the Red Scare when the senator claim to possess a list of 205 State Department employees who were known Communist moles. This was after World War II when Russia was rising to power and the fear of communist was fresh in very American. Instead of giving his alleged list to the FBI for investigation, McCarthy chose to hold Congressional hearing to investigate the claims personally. A panic spread throughout America just like in the Salem Witch Trails. Everyone quickly began to suspect his or her family and friends as hidden communist, with little to no evidence. Although there were no deaths, many were blacklisted until it had been clear that the list was fraud. This is just another example how mass hysteria can steer a community out of…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Cold War, there were two main sides of people’s opinions, for communism and against communism; people were also afraid of being killed or losing their jobs from being accused of being communists. Most people in America were against communism. In document four there are pictures of people protesting with signs that say “We are innocent” and “Burn all Reds”. The people with this signs were against the ideas of communism after the Rosenberg court case where people was accused of being communists and were put to death. This document is evidence that they were on the against the communist’s side and afraid of being killed from a false accusation.…

    • 111 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Decades ago, in the later part of the 1940’s and 1950’s, Americans were very fearful about the ideas of communism spreading to the United States. Considering this, they launched a system allowing them to investigate alleged disloyalty; they called this the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Their initial plan was to step up its efforts to expose and eliminate communist in the American society. In addition to focusing on labor unions, government officials, and militaries’, the HUAC turned its attention to Hollywood in 1947. More than 40 workers in the film industry received subpoenas ordered for them to help uncover communist, but 10 of those people refused to testify in court, giving them the famous nickname of: The Hollywood Ten.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin became increasingly popular during this time of hysteria as he was the chairman of this committee. McCarthy used aggressive tactics and unsubstantiated charges against individuals, even pinning a father against his own son. Joseph McCarthy and the HUAC did not care whether or not their actions were ruining people’s careers and lives. The HUAC first targeted the film industry in 1947, as they believed that communist propaganda was being spread through US films. In response to the HUAC accusations, Hollywood executives created a “blacklist” of people who they thought had Communist backgrounds.…

    • 2434 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Internal Security Act

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages

    For many Americans, the McCarthy era of the late 1940s and early 1950s symbolized what America does not represent. During this time, many Americans were persecuted based on their beliefs. Beliefs, however, was not the only force driving behind McCarthyism. The Amerasia case in 1945, along with the Alger Hiss perjury trials of 1949 and 1950, raised concerns to Congress about “underground” Communists within the government and others who could possibly commit acts of treason against the United States. 1 These concerns eventually lead to the passage of the McCarran Internal Security Act in the September of 1950.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Senator Joseph McCarthy used many tactics to persuade Americans to oppose communism and indict those who supported it. Communism had tangible shape, and Americans were worried that people in the U.S. would start leaning to the far left like several other countries such as the USSR and China (Schrecker). In order to prevent this, the Congressional House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was founded. The Committee 's purpose was to investigate those organizations and individuals it deemed "un-American." They first went to Hollywood because the movie industry was considered "corrupted". Ten individuals, called the Hollywood Ten, were asked to testify against other Hollywood residents who were questionable communists. Some of the Hollywood Ten refused to answer the HUAC 's questions so they were charged with contempt and sent to prison (HUAC). The Federal Loyalty Program was also established at this time in order to question the…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Decade Of Fear Analysis

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Many Hollywood actors, directors, and producers were asked to provide the House Un-American Activities Committee with names of people tied to the Communist Party. Some who didn’t cooperate, were blacklisted, and therefore were unable to work for a long period of time. Some of those who didn’t cooperate with the investigating committees or were accused of being Communists and for that reason, persecuted, were: Arthur Miller, Charlie Chaplin, Paul Robeson, and many other hundreds of people. Many people who did fall into McCarthy’s trap would accuse innocent people of being Communists, in order to save themselves from any possible feelings of prejudice from others.…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Option 3: During the cold war, fear that communism was going to spread throughout the world and the impending threat of nuclear attack plagued the United States. These fears led people to look suspiciously at their neighbors and many people called in accusations. Young children performed duck and cover drills and families on military bases lived with the threat every day. People built bomb shelters and Hollywood created its blacklist. Being accused of being a communist destroyed someone's future career. The other result of the Cold War was that it caused immense military spending, an increase in new technology, and advancements in security.…

    • 103 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite how the 50s are painted as an idyllic time in American history, they were also a time when the nation was exploring the fear and exploitation associated with communism. Many people encountered the fear personally due to being forced out of their government jobs, and ideas were freely exchanged about what exactly it meant to be American.…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    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…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays