the cold war at home
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The Cold War at Home. 1947-1955. Essential Questions Ch 18 Sec 3. What did the US Government do to investigate the loyalty of US citizens? What areas of society were targeted? What happened during the Spy Cases and how did they reflect the paranoia of the Red Scare ? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Essential Questions Ch 18 Sec 3What did the US Government do to
investigate the loyalty of US citizens? What areas of society were targeted?
What happened during the Spy Cases and how did they reflect the paranoia of the Red Scare?
What was McCarthyism and why was it controversial? What led to McCarthy’s downfall?
What other anti- Communist measures were enacted during the early 1950’s?
Fears of Communist InfluenceThe Soviet domination of Eastern
Europe, the fall of Red China led many Americans to believe that Communism was spreading around the world in the late 1940’s early 1950’s
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover estimated that there were 100,000 Americans in the Communist Party
Some feared that Communist had infiltrated the highest levels of US Government
The US Government ActsThe National Security Act of 1947- Established the
Department of Defense, the National Security Administration (NSA) and the CIA
Accused of being soft on Communist President Truman set up the Federal Employee Loyalty Program
It was to investigate government employeesFrom 1947-1951 3.2 million were investigated, 212
were fired and 2,900 resignedState and municipal programs were enacted as
well (6.6 million investigated)US Attorney General drew up a list of 91
“subversive groups”
The House Un-American Activities Committee
The HUAC was a Congressional Committee that was to investigate Communist activity
In 1947 it targeted the movie industry43 “friendly” witnesses from Hollywood
were subpoenaed ( Ronald Reagan, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck)
Some “unfriendly” witnesses were Orsen Wells, and Charlie Chaplin
Even Humphrey Bogart and Lucile
Ball received bad publicity
The Hollywood TenTen “Unfriendly witnesses” refused to
testify, they thought the hearings were unconstitutional, they were sentenced to prison by the committee (Hollywood Ten)
Hollywood executives instituted a “blacklist”
500 actors, writers,
producers and directors
had their careers ruined
The blacklist remained in
effect until 1960
The McCarran ActTo be even tougher on Communist
Congress passed the McCarran ActCommunist organizations must register
with the US Gov.Illegal to plan a totalitarian dictatorship in
the USCommunists could be interned during
national emergenciesNo Communists in Defense IndustriesBarred Communist Immigrants to the USCommunists could be deported
Spy Cases Stun the NationIn 1948 a former Communist spy Whittaker
Chambers (Time Magazine Editor) named former State Department Official Alger Hiss of Spying for the USSR
The Hiss CaseChambers produced micro-film and
documents allegedly passed to him from Hiss “The Pumpkin Papers” Hiss denied the charges
Congressman Nixon pursued the charges which increased his popularity
The statue of limitations had ran out on the espionage charge so Hiss was convicted of perjury and sentenced to 5 years in prison, he served 2 years still claiming his innocence
The RosenbergsIn 1950 Physicist Klaus Fuchs admitted to
giving the USSR atomic bomb informationTwo minor activist in the American
Communist party were implicated in the spy ring, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Ethel’s brother David Greenglass worked at Los Alamos
The Rosenbergs claimed they were being Jewish and holding radical beliefs
They were found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death
They were electrocuted on June 19th , 1953
McCarthy’s WitchhuntSenator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin first
gained prominence by giving a speech in WV in which he claimed he had a list of 200 “Card-carrying communist “ in the State Department
McCarthyismWith the help of his staff assistant and
lawyer Roy Cohn McCarthy accused many people of disloyality (Sec of State Dean Acheson and General George C. Marshall)
He accused people without providing evidence, his lists and sources were never revealed
He targeted not only his “egg-sucking phony liberals” but Blacks (Paul Robeson), Jews, Foreign Born and Homosexuals
McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover attacked “perverted” or “abnormal” orientations
McCarthy’s DownfallIn 1954 McCarthy made accusations against
the US ArmyDuring April-June 1954 the Army –McCarthy
Hearings allowed 20 million American to witness his bullying and recklessness
Army Attorney Joseph B. Welch shot backIn December 1954 McCarthy was censured
for “conduct unbecoming a member of the US Senate” His support was gone
In 1957 McCarthy died from alcoholism a broken man
Damage and other Anti- Communist Measures
Because of McCarthy many repressive federal and state laws remained in effect
Basic freedoms such as freedom of speech and assembly were eroded
Dissent had become dangerousThe US Government investigated
union leaders, librarians, teachers, reporters, entertainers, and scientists