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The Red Scare

The Red Scare. During the Cold War. During Great Depression thousands of Americans joined the communist party After WWII most quit Cold War led to intense anticommunist feelings Led to crusade to find communists Many had civil rights violated.

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The Red Scare

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  1. The Red Scare During the Cold War

  2. During Great Depression thousands of Americans joined the communist party • After WWII most quit • Cold War led to intense anticommunist feelings • Led to crusade to find communists • Many had civil rights violated

  3. Truman established federal loyalty program in 1947 • All federal employees checked by FBI • House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) • Congressional committee • Looked for communists

  4. Charged that many in Hollywood were communists • In 1947 HUAC called many actors, directors, writers, producers to testify • 10 of the accused refused to testify • The “Hollywood Ten” went to jail for contempt of Congress

  5. HUAC investigations made movie studios nervous • Led to “blacklist” of people the studios would not hire • Ruined careers

  6. Two Famous Spy Cases • Alger Hiss • Former State Department official • Accused of being Soviet spy during 1930s • Testified to HUAC • Found guilty of perjury and served four years • Not clear if he was a spy

  7. In 1950 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of passing atomic secrets to the USSR • Convicted and electrocuted in 1953 • Many felt they were innocent

  8. McCarthyism • Joseph McCarthy was a Republican senator from Wisconsin • Gave speech in 1950 saying he had a list of 205 communists in State Department • Started accusing others of being communists • Era known as “McCarthyism”

  9. When he said the Army was full of communists, many had enough • The Congress investigated claims • Army-McCarthy hearings were on TV • Made McCarthy look bad • Lost most support

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