The Red Scare

1
(No Transcript)
2
The Red Scare

• What causes such a fear of communism?
• Exposure of wartime spy rings in the U.S.
• Trumans Federal Employee Loyalty Program
• FBI checks files of all federal employees that
  might be subversives
  
• Those that are suspicious went before a loyalty
  review board and had to prove their innocence
  

3
HUAC

• House Un-American Activities Committee
• HUAC checks the motion picture industry for
  disloyalty
  
• Motion picture industry responds by blacklisting
  actors, directors, writers, etc. that might have
  ties to the communist party

4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
HUAC

• Hollywood Ten
• In 1947 19 Hollywood figures were called to
  testify before HUAC about their ties with the
  communist party
  
• HUAC didnt give them a chance to defend
  themselves
  
• HUAC asked them Are you or have you ever been a
  member of a communist party?
  
• Ten refused to answer by pleading the 5th
  amendment and they went to jail
  

7
(No Transcript)
8
Spy Cases

• Alger Hiss
• Whittaker Chambers accused Hiss of being a spy
• He was never convicted of being a spy but was put
  in jail for perjury (case is still debated
  today)
  
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
• Accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviets
• Both were convicted and put to death (the case is
  still debated today)
  

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
McCarthyism

• McCarthy uses smear tactics to get elected and
  gain popularity
  
• He made claims about communists in the state
  department in order to get re-elected
  
• He calls people in the army communist when one of
  his staff members is drafted
  
• He does this so people think he is attacking
  communism in the government

12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
The Impact of McCarthyism

• Generates fear and suspicion of everyone
• Dont disagree with the government or you will be
  seen as a communist
  
• Many federal employees were fired
• Professors dismissed for refusing to help
  investigate colleagues
  
• Navajo Indians refused government money because
  they have a communal way of life
  
• No honest debate allowed in the nation
• Innocent until proven guilty is changed to guilty
  until you prove your innocents

20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)