U.S. History Today Outcomes: What was McCarthyism? The Red Scare? How did these affect America? HW : Sec 3 Ch 18, p. 616

A little review…

1. Although Mao Zedong won the hearts of the Chinese peasants, he failed to win American support because he A. was corrupt. B. was a Nationalist. C. was a Communist. D. had cooperated with Japan during World War II.

2. The failure of Chiang Kai-shek's forces in the Chinese Civil War can largely be blamed on A. his weak and corrupt leadership. B. aid given by the United States to the opposition. C. the U.S. fear and distrust of communism. D. the U.S. lack of interest in the outcome of the war.

3. The 38th parallel became an important dividing line between A. Korea and China. B. North and South Vietnam. C. China and Taiwan (Formosa). D. North and South Korea.

4. General Douglas MacArthur argued that the Korean War A. was not a vital American interest. B. should be limited to Korea. C. should be extended into a war against China. D. should be extended into a war against the Soviet Union.

5. What potential technology do we fear the most from Kim Jong Il’s North Korea? A. Missiles capable of hitting Japan B. A nuclear weapon C. Biological warfare techniques D. The ability to launch spy satellites

6. ____Americans died in the Korean War: B. 17,000 C. 37,000 D. 67,000

McCarthyism and the Red Scare

Fear of Radicals is Nothing new From the 1920s: “The Palmer Raids” Sacco and Vanzetti Case

So, after World War II, there’s another “Red Scare”

Sen. Joseph McCarthy His Senate investigations will give this era its name: “McCarthyism” means to charge someone without real proof

HUAC: House Un-American Activities Committee investigated communism in government and in Hollywood What does this cartoon say about the way they investigate?

"You read books, eh?" In the 1950s and the years after 9/11, federal spy agencies monitored libraries. Why? During the postwar anti-communist campaign hundreds of elementary and high school teachers were investigated and lost their jobs, sometimes as a result of being named by proliferating "anti-subversive" groups

But Popular Culture sent clear anti-communist messages:

Spies One of the reasons the Soviets (Russians) got the bomb was that there were spies selling secrets. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg went to the electric chair.

So there were spies. But anti-communist fear grew absurd So there were spies. But anti-communist fear grew absurd. At one time, all of these were called “communists”

And the anti-communist John Birch Society… …Launched a campaign against the fluoridation of drinking water –intended to prevent cavities. It was, they said, a communist plot. If the government can put fluoride in your water today, what might they do to you tomorrow?

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, reminded Americans of a similar time: Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. Let’s look at what happened there.