Transcript McCarthyismx

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Mr. Stone has a list of students known to
be or suspected of disagreeing with SBG.
He’s considering holding certain
students on the list in ISS until the matter
is resolved.
How do you feel about this?
Why might he want to do this?
What effects might this have?
LT: Cold War at home
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Is this Un-American?
“Resolved, that the Speaker of the House of Representatives
be, and he is hereby, authorized to appoint [create] a special
committee to be composed of seven members for the
purpose of conducting an investigation of (1) the extent,
character, and object of un-American propaganda activities
in the United States, (2) the diffusion [spreading] within the
United States of subversives [people trying to overthrow the
gov’t] and un-American propaganda that is instigated
[started] from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and
attacks the principle [foundation] of the form of government
as guaranteed by the Constitution…”
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House Un-American Activities Committee
(HUAC) established in 1938 to root out
fascism.
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During the Cold War, HUAC investigations
target communist “sympathizers” like peace
organizations, labor unions, liberals,
intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities
(“blacklisting”).
Internal Security Act (1950): Communist
Party members must register with the
federal govt.; made it difficult for
immigrants suspected of communist
sympathy to enter the U.S.
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Fear of Soviet spies, both American and
non-American, were everywhere.
1948- Alger Hiss, State Department
employee convicted of espionage
 1951: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg convicted
of giving atomic energy secrets to USSR
during WWII (they are executed in 1953)
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McCarthyism: period of intense antiCommunist paranoia (height in the late
1940s-1950s).
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Who was Joseph McCarthy and what was
“McCarthyism”?
Do you think this execution was
justified?
Judge sentences
Rosenergs to death:
“I consider your crime worse than murder... I
believe your conduct in putting into the hands of
the Russians the A-Bomb years before our best
scientists predicted Russia would perfect the bomb
has already caused, in my opinion, the Communist
aggression in Korea, with the resultant casualties
1942- Recruited as Soviet Spy
exceeding 50,000 and who knows but that millions
"The
count.
The minutes count. Do not
1940- US Army mechanic
more of innocent people may
payhours
the price
of your
let thisyou
crime
against humanity take place.“
treason. Indeed, by your betrayal
undoubtedly
Protests break out
over
harshness
of execution
have
altered
the course
of history toand
the doubts of guilt:
1953asks
to stay execution
disadvantage of our country.
No Pope
one can
sayEisenhower
that
"a legal lynchingwewhich
blood
a whole
nation.
By
Ethel
Rosenberg
becomes 2nd
do notsmears
live in awith
constant
state
of tension.
We
1945from
killingFired
the Rosenbergs,
you have
quite
simplyalltried
to halt
thebe put to death in US
women
have evidence
of your
treachery
around
us to
army
for being
progress
of science
human
Magic,activities
witch-hunts,
autoshistory
Recruited
David Greenglass,
brother of
everybyday
for thesacrifice.
civilian
defense
Documents
pass hands
member
of
da-fé,Rosenbergs
sacrifices throughout
– we
are
here
getting
to
the
point:
your country
is Greenglass and
Ethel
Rosenberg,
to
steal
1950arrested
for
passing
classified
the
nation
are
aimed
atdocuments
preparing
usbetween
June
19, 1953- Rosenbergs
become
first and
only
case
Communist
Party
sick with fear...
youanare
afraid
ofattack”
the
shadow
from
Manhattan
Projectof your own bomb."
information
to
Soviet
intelligence
sources
for
atom
bomb
Ethel Rosenberg
of American
citizens
being
executed
for
espionage
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Blacklist – a list of people who are not
allowed to work in a certain job
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E.g. “John, a teacher, was blacklisted when it was
learned that he attended a Communist Party
meeting.”
Contempt of court – when a person
disobeys or is disrespectful of the court;
penalty can be a fine or jail time
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E.g. “The directors were charged with contempt of
court when they refused to answer the judge’s
questions.”
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Are you or have you ever been a member of the
Communist Party?
If you were on the HUAC, who might you
want to target first? Who is in a position to
spread communist ideas?
How do you think people called to
testify will respond to the
questioning?
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Nov. 25, 1947: Ten
writers and directors
refuse to answer the
HUAC’s questions
They are charged
with contempt of
court, sentenced to
one year in prison,
and blacklisted
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Ronald Reagan
Walt Disney
Jackie Robinson
Two days after the
Wheeling speech,
McCarthy sends a
telegram asking
Truman to look into
his claims and
provide Congress
with a full report on
Communist
infiltration of the
State Department
CBS News: “See It Now”
Edward R. Murrow
Fred Friendly
Joseph McCarthy
“They took on the
government with
nothing but the truth”
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What was McCarthyism and how did it define
the FEAR of American society during the
Cold War? What caused it’s eventual downfall?
What was the overall impact on society?