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The Second Red Scare

The Second Red Scare. The Growing Fear of Communism. Soviets detonate an atomic bomb Communists win the civil war in China. House of Un-American Activities Committee. Created in the 1930s Purpose was to investigate radical groups within the United States

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The Second Red Scare

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  1. The Second Red Scare

  2. The Growing Fear of Communism • Soviets detonate an atomic bomb • Communists win the civil war in China

  3. House of Un-American Activities Committee • Created in the 1930s • Purpose was to investigate radical groups within the United States • Focused on threat of communism after the start of the Cold War • Most famous case: Hollywood Ten

  4. Fighting Communism in the Government • Republicans claimed Communists were working • for the federal gov’t • Truman adopted a plan to investigate the loyalty • of federal employees • Few thousand resigned, and 200 judged disloyal

  5. Laws Regarding Communism • Smith Act • Crime to call for the overthrow of the U.S. gov’t • Upheld by the Supreme Court • McCarran Internal Security Act • Communist groups had to register w/the gov’t • a special board was created to investigate all communist activity • Communists barred from entering the country • Truman vetoed, Congress overrode veto

  6. Spy Cases • Alger Hiss (federal gov’t official) accused of working for the Soviets • Klaus Fuchs passed atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union • Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are executed for providing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union Alger Hiss Klaus Fuchs Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

  7. Senator Joseph McCarthy • Republican senator from Wisconsin • To get reelected, he decided to use fear of communism • Went on a rampage, announcing that the government was filled with ‘reds’ • Made claims that he had inside knowledge and proof • McCarthy’s tactic of spreading fear became known as McCarthyism • Thousands of people fired nationwide • No evidence to support his claims • However, when he accused the army of having tons of communist subversives, he went to far • Censured by the Senate, died in disgrace

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