Unit 9: The 50’s & the Cold War

Entry Task Please have your notebook out & be ready for some note taking.

DOT GAME

“Who’s a dot?!” Each of you will receive a card. Some will have dots; more of them will be blank. Do not let others see your card at any time. Look at your piece of paper secretly to see if you have a dot. Do not let anyone know whether or not you have a dot. Then put the piece of paper out of sight.

Goal If you are a non-dotted person, you are trying to create the largest group possible of non-dotted people. If you create the largest group of non-dotted people, you win. If you are a dotted person, your goal is to be the only dotted person in a group. If you are the only dotted person in a group, you win

Playing The Game You will have 10 minutes to talk to each other in order to figure out who has a dot. If someone asks whether you have a dot, say that you do not, even if you do. Look for people who look like they are lying or who seem suspicious. If you think someone has a dot, call out, “___[name]___ has a dot!” If you have a dot, try to bluff to convince others that you don’t.

Directions Your goal if you do not have a dot is to create as big a group of non-dotted students as you can. The winners are those in the biggest group without a dotted person (your group loses if there’s any dotted person in it). A dotted person is a winner if he/she is the only dotted person in a group, so if you have a dot, try not to get found out, but try to get other dotted people out of whatever group you are in. If you are asked to leave a group, you must leave.

Debrief For those who were dots, how did you convince others you were not a “dot”? Who was accused of being a dot? How did you feel? What were you fearful or suspicious of in this activity? What emotions fueled this activity? What does this activity show us about how people respond to accusations and fear of accusations?

McCarthyism

Background: Communism in America During the Great Depression, tens of thousands of Americans had joined the Communist Party After WWII, membership declined

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Fear of Communism During the Cold War, politicians encouraged fear of Communism Truman administration began to investigate people who still belonged to the Communist Party Loyalty program 6.6 million Americans were investigated

HUAC Congress began the House Un-American Activities Committee to investigate Communist “infiltration” of America In 1947, HUAC called Hollywood directors, writers, actors and producers to testify Asked: “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”

HUAC & The Hollywood Ten A group of directors & producers refused to testify “Hollywood Ten” Served jail terms from 6 months-1 year Studios began “blacklisting” people who were accused of having Communist ties The 10 individuals who defied HUAC were Alvah Bessie (c. 1904-85), Herbert Biberman (1900-71), Lester Cole (c. 1904-85), Edward Dmytryk (1908-99), Ring Lardner Jr. (1915-2000), John Howard Lawson (1894-1977), Albert Maltz (1908-1985), Samuel Ornitz (1890-1957), Robert Adrian Scott (1912-73) and Dalton Trumbo (1905-76). 

How to spot a communist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCR9vE0cM-U

Joseph McCarthy In 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy gave a speech in which he declared: “I have here in my hand a list of 205 [people] who were known to the secretary of state as being members of the Communist Party and who, nevertheless, are still working and shaping policy at the State Department.”

McCarthyism McCarthy – Sensational charges Created a culture of fear When pressed, he reduced his list at the state department from 205 to 57 Created a culture of fear

McCarran Act (1950) Unlawful to promote any action that would lead to a totalitarian dictatorship Immigrants deported if they were suspected Internment camps for “dangerous or disloyal” people Truman vetoed it… “One of the most un-American acts I have ever witnessed in my political career” But Congress passed it over his veto

How McCarthyism Worked Just being accused could lead people to lose their jobs McCarthy targeted people in public hearings Goal: get people fired for being (suspected) Communists

Why did people go along with it? clip What might be the risk of speaking out against him? What is wrong with these actions? Why might some argue that HUAC itself was un-American?

End of McCarthyism In 1954, televised hearings began It became clear that McCarthy was pursuing baseless charges – and targeting anyone who spoke out against him Senate formally condemned him Resolution 301

Ethel & Julius Rosenberg: Alger Hiss: Spied for the Soviet Union Klaus Fuchs: Admitted to spying for S.U. in the Manhattan Project Ethel & Julius Rosenberg: Convicted and put to death in 1953 – still unsure if guilty

McCarthyism Today McCarthyism is a term now used for witch hunts, typically those that are politically motivated.

Exit Card Why were so many people scared of McCarthy? What is “McCarthyism?” How did the Red Scare infiltrate American culture?