McCarthyism; The Communist Witch Hunts of the 1950

Thank you!

"See it Now"

CBS releases pilot episode for "See it Now" in 1954, a show aired targeting McCarthy. It looked over his interview with the alleged communists. The host then described the "red scare" in which he targeted

the communist witch hunts.

In which he says,

"The line between investigating

and persecuting is a very fine

one, and the junior senator

from Wisconsin has stepped

over it repeatedly."

Public Stops Supporting Him

After so many false accusations, the public turns on him.

Senator Ralph Flanders begins a campaign against McCarthy.

1954

McCarthy's position in senate is replaced.

Second Accusation

Begins investigation on a dentist, Irving Peress, within Camp Kilmer.

This time his accusation caused Irving's honourable discharge.

During the hearing though, Joseph condemned General Ralph Zwicker, stating that he is "unfit to wear his uniform."

Bibliography

• www.coldwar.org
• www.wisconsinhistory.org
• www.brighthubeducation.com
• www.ask.com

First Accusation

Joseph accuses espionage at Fort Monmouth.

Armies investigation says they have found no espionage or communist supporters within Fort Monmouth.

McCarthyism; The Communist Witch Hunts of the 1950

The Crucible

The End of the McCarthyism Era

• Joseph McCarthy accuses the army of espionage, accusing members of being communists/ spies.

• The Crucible is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller.
• Arthur Miller was actually inspired to write The Crucible while seeing McCarthyism take place
• Miller himself was questioned by the House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of "contempt of Congress" for refusing to identify others present at meetings he had attended.[
• The Crucible relates to McCarthyism because both used lack of evidence to convict people without regard to any what was truly happening. The Crucible was about witch craft and the hunt that went on for witches during the Salem witch trials. There was no real evidence of the witch craft, just assumptions. McCarthyism was the attempt of politicians to say people were communists during the 1950's.

Joseph McCarthy

Definitions

Communism: a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

McCarthyism: a campaign or practice that endorses the use of unfair allegations and investigations.

Espionage: the practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information.

• Nov. 14, 1908 - Joseph McCarthy is born.
• Grows up in Outagamie County, Wisconsin.
• Drops out of high school at 14 and started

to work on farm.

• Returns to school and finishes.
• Gets elected to senate in the U.S. in 1946.
• Joseph McCarthy was what many historians consider to be one of the least qualified, most corrupt politicians of his time.
• 1957, May 2. McCarthy died at Bethesda Naval Hospital and is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Appleton.

His Time as

Senate

The Communist Witch Hunts

• The 'Witch Hunts' were methods exercised by Conservative Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy. He sought out and victimized anyone who had communistic values.
• 1950, February 9. McCarthy delivers speech in Wheeling, West Virginia and displays a list of 205 Communists in the State Department apparently protected by Communist sympathizers in high places.

1947 Cold War Rises Tension

• Communist Russia and Democratic U.S.A. lead in the atomic race.
• This creates some prejudice against anything to do with communism.
• Communism supporters start to be feared within the U.S.A.