McCarthyism and the Red Scare
Soon after World War II, Americans began to be fear that throngs of communists were attempting to take over America. Communism was hated, and the American public called communists "reds" because the Soviet Union’s flag was red ( Red Scare). Most people considered communists to be worse than murderers. Just being suspected of being a communist meant you were a traitor, and any association with communists or suspected communist was almost as bad as being one. This event is known as the “Red Scare” (53a. McCarthyism). Many reasons were behind the hysteria that took over America. One reason was that news sources reported that communist countries had spies infiltrating America. Constant news reports of cruelty committed by the communist leaders fanned the flames of paranoia (The Red Scare: Mccarthyism).
To combat this so called invasion, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was created. This agency investigated communist or thought to be organizations. The HUAC was primarily created because the American government wanted to substantiate that many actors and writers were communists. They believed movies were indoctrinating Americans with communist ideas. Even after they questioned 10-year-old Shirley Temple, they never confirmed any of the charges Schwartz, Richard). However, it still hurt many people because just to be associated with someone who was thought to be a communist could ruin your career. The HUAC created a black list of many people. It was a list of suspected communist. When people were “blacklist”, it ruined their professional reputation, it meant no one would hire them for fear of being thought a communist (53a. McCarthyism).
Government officials were another group who spurred on the hysteria. Joseph McCarthy was the most notorious of this group. He was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin. He announced that he had lists of suspected communists. He was often in the news, telling the American people that they were being overrun with communists, and that they must rid themselves of all the communists before America could be great again (Red Scare). Anyone who would not aid McCarthy was instantly black listed. McCarthy did not use facts in his speeches, prolong, or attacks against communism. He just used anything that would help him. Soon, actions that were not factual, but spread by rumors were called McCarthyism. Then, McCarthy’s supporters took the derogatory term and used it to show his “patriotism” (53a. McCarthyism).
McCarthy became a very powerful man. However, pressed for the evidence of a real communist, he made a big mistake. McCarthy accused officials in the government and army of communism. McCarthy never proved any of these charges, and his ideas were discredited. People no longer believed him (The Red Scare: Mccarthyism). He was stripped of his leadership roles. Soon the Red Scare ended. This event is a blemish in America's history. People's lives were ruined. Some left the country, and other committed suicide. A general distrust in the government by the American people came about because of this incident (Schwartz, Richard).
To combat this so called invasion, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was created. This agency investigated communist or thought to be organizations. The HUAC was primarily created because the American government wanted to substantiate that many actors and writers were communists. They believed movies were indoctrinating Americans with communist ideas. Even after they questioned 10-year-old Shirley Temple, they never confirmed any of the charges Schwartz, Richard). However, it still hurt many people because just to be associated with someone who was thought to be a communist could ruin your career. The HUAC created a black list of many people. It was a list of suspected communist. When people were “blacklist”, it ruined their professional reputation, it meant no one would hire them for fear of being thought a communist (53a. McCarthyism).
Government officials were another group who spurred on the hysteria. Joseph McCarthy was the most notorious of this group. He was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin. He announced that he had lists of suspected communists. He was often in the news, telling the American people that they were being overrun with communists, and that they must rid themselves of all the communists before America could be great again (Red Scare). Anyone who would not aid McCarthy was instantly black listed. McCarthy did not use facts in his speeches, prolong, or attacks against communism. He just used anything that would help him. Soon, actions that were not factual, but spread by rumors were called McCarthyism. Then, McCarthy’s supporters took the derogatory term and used it to show his “patriotism” (53a. McCarthyism).
McCarthy became a very powerful man. However, pressed for the evidence of a real communist, he made a big mistake. McCarthy accused officials in the government and army of communism. McCarthy never proved any of these charges, and his ideas were discredited. People no longer believed him (The Red Scare: Mccarthyism). He was stripped of his leadership roles. Soon the Red Scare ended. This event is a blemish in America's history. People's lives were ruined. Some left the country, and other committed suicide. A general distrust in the government by the American people came about because of this incident (Schwartz, Richard).