After World War II

The western world was divided between the two strongest survivors . . .

In the post-war era, the two super powers entered a standoff that lasted 45 years.

Then something happened . . .

Back in the 40s and 50s things weren’t so hot …

Each side thought the other was capable of this . . .

This made everyone living here . . .

And here . . .

Not to mention the people who were living here...

Very, VERY nervous.

In 1938 a U.S. congressman named Martin Dies founded the House of UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC).

The HUAC investigated people suspected of “unpatriotic behavior,” and firmly believed that they were the best vehicle to discover if people were trying to overthrow the government.

On June 29, 1940 Congress passed The Alien Registration Act. The Act made it illegal for anyone in the U.S to advocate, abet, or teach the desirability of overthrowing the government.

How conveeeeeeeeeeeenient

Considering how serious so many people were about American history...

The Alien Registration Act seemed pretty silly.

The HAUC knew that the American Communist Party held regular meetings in towns and cities across the country, but they had no idea exactly when and where the meetings were held.

Nor did they have the foggiest notion of what the Party members discussed.

People who were suspected of attending or even hearing about these meetings were called before the HUAC.

Many Americans suspected of communist sympathies were ruined by their mere mention at HUAC hearings.

“BLACK LIST” status crippled many citizens. They lost jobs, couldn’t find new ones, nor could they find anyone willing to risk their own reputations to help them.

For the first time, average, white, middle-class American citizens found out how other American citizens live.

In the late 1940s Holly wood producers, directors and financiers were called before the HUAC. Which is probably why the hearings drew so much attention.

On 9th February, 1950, Joseph McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin, made a speech claiming to have a list of 205 people in the State Department known to be members of the American Communist Party.

The list of names was not a secret and had been in fact published by the Secretary of State in 1946. These people had been identified during a preliminary screening of 3,000 federal employees. Some had been communists but others had been fascists, alcoholics and sexual deviants. If screened, McCarthy's own drink problems and sexual preferences would have resulted in him being put on the list.

With the war going badly in Korea and communist advances in Eastern Europe and in China, the American public were genuinely frightened about the possibilities of internal subversion. McCarthy, was made chairman of the Government Committee on Operations of the Senate, and this gave him the opportunity to investigate the possibility of communist subversion.

For the next two years McCarthy's committee investigated various government departments and questioned a large number of people about their political past. Some lost their jobs after they admitted they had been members of the Communist Party. McCarthy made it clear to the witnesses that the only way of showing that they had abandoned their left-wing views was by naming other members of the party.

The term often applied to such a proceeding is…

Witch-hunt

A famous play was written at this time…

A famous play was written at this time…

This play is about a real witch-hunt.

Go figure?

One of McCarthy’s grand schemes was combing the nations libraries for what he considered “subversive” publications.

His researchers looked into the Overseas Library Program and discovered 30,00 books by “communists, pro-communists, former communists and anti-communists.”

After the publication of this list, these books were removed from the library shelves.

Considering how serious so many people were about history...

This seemed pretty silly.

Another infamous novel was published at this time…

Bet you can’t guess!?!

Eventually, Dwight Eisenhower (President at the time) grew tired of McCarthy’s games.

Eisenhower pressured his staff, including then Vice, Richard Nixon to openly criticize McCarthy’s methods.

Men who have in the past done effective work exposing Communists in this country have, by reckless talk and questionable methods, made themselves the issue rather than the cause they believe in so deeply.

- Richard Nixon (1954)

You know you suck when Nixon’s disappointed!!!

The End