Mr. Cahill’s History 10

Mr. Cahill’s History 10

McCarthy and the Cold War at HomeUnit 14

Standards / Indicators • History: • 12: Explain the major domestic developments after 1945 with emphasis on: • B. McCarthyism • Materials needed: notebook and pencil

The “Dot Game” • Each Student will receive a piece of paper • This is only for you to see • Are YOU a good judge of character? • If you paper has a dot in the middle your job is to infiltrate the largest “non dot” group possible • If you have no dot your job is to form the larges “non-dot” group possible • The group with the largest non-dot group wins 5 extra credit points. • The person w/ a dot who has infiltrated the largest dot group also wins 5 extra points.

SLIDE 1.3A McCarthyism The Birth of McCarthyism [1950] • Republican from Wisconsin • Made speech about 205 known Communist that worked in the State Department • Started a “witch” hunt that lasted for 4 years

Con’t With Slide 1.3A • Member of the House Un-American Activities Committee [HUAC] • If you refused to answer you were labeled • “Fifth Amendment Communist” or • “Guilty by association” • His favorite target was Hollywood

Con’t with Slide 1.3A • The fear,suspicion, and scapegoating that surrounded his accusations came to be known as McCarthyism • He accused the Democratic Party as being “soft on communism” for their liberal politics

Con’t with Slide 1.3A • Americans had a choice between • “communism and republicans” • “Reds” [die heart communist] • “Pinks [gradually lead you to communism] • Being anti-Communist was the only way to save America

Con’t with Slide 1.3A • McCarthyism resulted in a political atmosphere that was dominated by anti-Communist fears and tensions across the United States

Con’t with Slide 1.3A • Setbacks that contributed to the rise of McCarthyism in the year 1949 • China became a communist state • Alger Hiss a top state department official was convicted as a Soviet spy • Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb • The Rosenbergs convicted of treason and executed in 1953

Slide 1.3B Anti-Communist Sentiment in American Society • McCarthyism dominated society and culture during much of the 1950”s. • The impact of McCarthyism was serious and long lasting.

Con’t with Slide 1.3B • Lawmaking: laws were passed to curbed communist threat. [such as] • Texas belonging to the communist party was punishable by 20 years in prison • New York oath of loyalty to get a fishing license • Membership in the Communist Party illegal

Con’t with Slide 1.3B • Political Discourse • any social program was seen as the path to socialism • socialized medicine for the nation was turned down • polio vaccine was not free • it was seen as “socialized medicine through the back door”

Con’t with Slide 1.3B • Education was impacted by anti-communist hysteria • teachers and professors had to take loyalty oaths • textbooks emphasized patriotic themes, and promoted anti-communism propaganda • “Un-American” books were banned and removed from libraries

Con’t with Slide 1.3B • The Film Industry McCarthy’s prime target • many entertainers were blacked listed, banished,or jailed for refusing to cooperate • some actors formed anti-Communist groups • studios turned many anti-Communist films

Slide 1.3C The End of McCarthyism • McCarthy Falls • he never proved his conspiracy charges nor was any conspirator ever found, soon his power faded and his followers abandoned him • he accused the U.S. Army sheltering Communist • Americans saw through McCarthy’s hectoring and bullying tactics

Con’t with Slide 1.3C • McCarthy disgraced generals, congressmen, and even President Eisenhower • He was censured by the Senate in 1954 • He died of liver failure three years later

Con’t with Slide 1.3C • Ironies of the anti-Communist hysteria of the McCarthy era • communism never gained a foothold in the U.S. • communist only numbered about 45,000 people • after FBI prosecution the party numbered fewer than 5,000 members • many of these people were FBI agents

Mr. Cahill’s History 10