Joseph McCarthy The Beginnings of the Cold War

(Not to be confused with McCartney.) This would be Paul McCartney ( Yes, one of the Beatles.) and beloved musical icon. (Not to be confused with McCartney.)

This is Senator Joseph McCarthy- liar, liar pants on fire and considered by some to be a general all-’round embarrassment to the United States.

What is Communism? Ideally, Communism is a type of government and philosophy. Its goal is to form a society where everything is shared equally. All people are treated equally and there is little private ownership. In a communist government, the government owns and controls most everything including property, means of production, education, transportation, and agriculture. Issues arise when human nature gets involved. Historically, most communist nations have twisted the philosophy for their own ends, resulting in poverty, loss of personal rights and religious freedom.

Early Years of the Cold War and the US After WWII, there was a lot of tension between Russia and the US. Communist spies were found in prominent places in the United States’ Government. This sparked a fear of anything that was Communist- whether it was from Cuba, the Soviet Union, or China. After Senator McCarthy’s witch hunt, further tension escalated with the development of the hydrogen bomb and the Space Race

FreeWrite (aka the part where Mrs FreeWrite (aka the part where Mrs. W sees what you actually remember from US History.) Pick two and write a short paragraph about what you know. What are the origins of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry? How do wartime allies become post-war enemies? Who was Senator Joseph McCarthy?

Background on Senator McCarthy In 1950, Joseph McCarthy was a little known Senator from Wisconsin He quit his job as a judge and after a very short stint in the military during WWII, used his active service to further his political career. On Feb. 12, 1950, McCarthy gives a speech in West Virginia where he held up a list of 205 “members” of the Communist Party that were working and shaping policy in the State Department

The early years of the Cold War provided a perfect stage for McCarthy dominated by anti-communist fears and tensions. In 1949, China (and 1/5 of the world’s population became a Communist state.

McCarthy said that the country faced a threat from “a conspiracy on a scale so immense as to dwarf any previous such venture in the history of man.” McCarthy is reelected as Senator and worked for the next four years to root out the communist menace he said existed in government, entertainment industry and education.

A member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) An endless parade of suspected “Communists” were called to testify before the committee, each was asked “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” If a witness refused to testify, they were called “Fifth Amendment Communists;” others were simply guilty by association. This was problematic as once one were branded as a Communist, neighbors, bosses, etc. began to distrust you.

McCarthy’s favorite targets were writers, actors and producers In 1946, the Republican Party proclaimed that Americans had the choice between Communism and Republicanism.

Hollywood ten 10 prominent Hollywood screenwriters and directors received jail sentences and were banned from working in the business. These men not only refused to cooperate with the investigation but denounced the HUAC anti-communist hearings as an outrageous violation of their civil rights Their argument- the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave them the right to belong to any political organization they chose. Some compared the committee’s coercive methods and intimidating tactics to the oppressive measures enacted in Nazi Germany.

Many of the Hollywood Ten writers continued producing screenplays under assumed names after they were blacklisted. Using the pseudonym Robert Rich, Dalton Trumbo penned the script for "The Brave One," which earned an Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 1957.

Imprisoned and Blacklisted The Hollywood Ten paid a high price for their actions at the HUAC hearings. In November 1947, they were cited for contempt of Congress. Each man was found guilty and sentenced to spend a year in prison and pay a $1,000 fine. While in prison, one member of the group, Edward Dmytryk, decided to “cooperate” with the government. In 1951, he testified at a HUAC hearing and provided the names of more than 20 industry colleagues he claimed were communists.

Fear of spies and the actual revealing that information was being passed to the Soviet Union. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and executed in 1953 for treason based on spy activity.

Hysteria and paranoia of Communism and McCarthyism permeated American society and culture during much of the 1950’s. In 1954, the Congress passed the Communism Control Act. Supported by both Democrats and Republicans, made membership in the Communist party illegal.

Despite all the hysteria, McCarthy never proved his conspiracy charges Despite all the hysteria, McCarthy never proved his conspiracy charges. Not a single conspirator was found. His support waned as his accusations proved to be empty. McCarthy finally reached too far when he attacked the U.S. Army for sheltering communists. McCarthy shouted to a general: “You are a disgrace to the uniform. You’re shielding communist conspirators…You’re not fit to be an officer. You’re ignorant”.

Finally after disgracing generals, congressmen and even President Eisenhower, the senate passed a vote of censure against McCarthy in 1954. He died of liver failure three years later.