Loyalty Program & HUAC

Loyalty Program

• In 1947, President Truman ordered the investigation of the loyalty of more than 3 million employees.

• He wanted to find all communists and WEEEEEEEEEEEED ‘em out!

Purpose the Loyalty Program

• Effort to demonstrate ANTI-communism

• Designed to catch spies and communists

• Banned anyone who had or continued to belong to the Communist party

Security Risks

• People that were thought to risk the well being of the United States.

• Communists and spies were the two main targeted groups thought to be “security risks”

• Truman went into businesses and investigated their employees, and decided if they could keep their jobs or not.

• Truman would check; crimes, violent overthrow, breach of official duty, or disclosure of confidential information or membership in or association with any subversive organization.

• Over 500,000 workers checked each year.

• 4.5 million names were checked in the course of 10 years.

• Truman issued another order to keep his investigations in secrecy.

• 5,000 people voluntarily resigned

• And 378 were actually dismissed or denied.

• REDDDDDDDDDD

HUAC Program

• House on Un-American Activities Committee: Used to get rid of communists in the government.

• Targeted people who were thought to be “Un-American”. People like Communists, Radicals, and people who spoke out against the government.

Differences• H.U.A.C.- specific law, focused on

government workers

• Loyalty program- more of a program, no direct involvement in the house committee

Closure

• Who started the Loyalty Program?• What group the Loyalty Program want to

get rid of?• What are Security Risks?• What does HUAC stand for?• What makes HUAC and the Loyalty

Program similar?• What makes HUAC and the Loyalty

Program different?

Cites

• http://www.suite101.com/content/huac-and-the-new-deal-a43354

• http://www.ohiohistory.org/historyworksohio/timeline/timeline_display.cfm?ID=241

• http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/577/590960/powerpoints/ppt/chp27.ppt

• http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-orders-loyalty-checks-of-federal-employees