Red Scare Facts
“The end of the fighting in Europe did not bring peace and security to the United States. Hatred of the brutal “Huns” was quickly replaced by a fear of anarchists, communists and immigrants. The word “Red” has long been associated with the Communists” (The Red Scare, par. 1). The quote means that the world was afraid of a new World war to happen; this is why the most powerful states of the planet became very suspicious of each other.
“The climate of fear and repression began to ease in the late 1950s; the Red Scare has continued to influence political debate in the decades since” (The Red Scare, par. 11). American leaders started to doubt, test, and restrict their federal employees anticipating to find communist spies.
“The democratic United States and the communist Soviet Union became engaged in a series of largely political and economic clashes known as the Cold War”( Red Scare, par. 2). The two countries started the period of rivalry, struggling for influence, authority, and power in various regions of the world.
“Federal, state and local legislation denied additional rights to communists and required citizens to sign loyalty oaths to work for government agencies” (Red Scare, the 1950s, par. 4). Many people fell under the suspicion of co-operating with the potential enemy; among them were writers, teachers, scientists, even Hollywood actors.
“One of the pioneering efforts to investigate communist activities took place in the U.S. House of Representatives, where the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was formed in 1938” (Red Scare, par. 5). HUAC specialized in searching for communist spies and checking the background of people employed for federal service.
McCarthyism Facts
“McCarthyism was started by Senator Joseph McCarthy in response to the growing threat of Communism in Eastern Europe and China during the 1940s and 1950s” (Facts about McCarthyism, par. 2). A bold anti-communist Joseph McCarthy earned his influence due to the common fear of communist influence based on the uncertainty after the end of World War II.
“In February 1950, appearing at the Ohio County Women’s Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, McCarthy gave a speech that propelled him into the national spotlight” (Joseph R. McCarthy, par. 6). McCarthy publically announced that he possessed the proofs of the presence of spies in the State Department. He simply waved a sheet of paper in front of the audience; no one knows if the paper had any important information on it.
“McCarthy was put in charge of the Committee on Government Operations” (Joseph R. McCarthy, par. 7). This meant that the anti-communist senator obtained the power to investigate the background of federal employees. Because of his invasive interrogations, thousands of people lost their jobs and were publically humiliated, although no proofs of espionage activities were found and no people were convicted of being communist spies.
“While being questioned by McCarthy in the courtroom, lawyer Joseph Welch famously asked, ‘Have you no sense of decency, sir?’” (Facts about McCarthyism, par. 2). This moment in American history is considered as an embarrassing experience because the public finally got to see how inappropriate and shocking McCarthy’s activities and accusations were.
“Joseph McCarthy died in 1957 from cirrhosis of the liver while still serving as the United States Senator. He was only 48” (Facts about McCarthyism, par. 2). There is a common view that people with liver issues tend to experience difficulties with controlling their emotions such as anger and rage. It is quite possible that McCarthy’s unstoppable aggression towards American people was caused by his serious disease.
Works Cited
Facts about McCarthyism. Factsbarn. 2013.
Joseph R. McCarthy.History. 2014.
Red Scare. History. 2014.
The Red Scare.UShistory. 2014.