The 2nd Red Scare

Fear of Communism

during the 1950s

What was the 2nd Red Scare?

• A fear of communism in the U.S. during the late 1940s that lasted into the mid-1950s.

• People became paranoid about communist spies in America.

Causes of the 2nd Red Scare

• 1. The Cold War—the Belief that the Soviet Union was trying to take over the world.

• 2. The uncovering of actual communist spies.

• 3. Republicans using the issue of communism as a political issue—they attack the Democrats as being “soft” on communism.

Truman’s Response to Republicans

• Executive Order 9835

• Establishes the Federal Employees Loyalty and Security Program.

• Barred communists from federal employment.

• Set guidelines for investigating present and perspective employees.

AP—McCarran Act

• Internal Security Act—Required all communists to register with the govt.

HUAC

• House Un-American Activates Committee

• Congressional committee that sought to find communists in the U.S.

HUAC Attacks Hollywood

• HUAC members feared that many in Hollywood were communists or communist sympathizers.

• Held hearing in which they interrogated witnesses.

• If witnesses did not go along and “name names” they were “blacklisted.”

Blacklisting

• None of the Hollywood studios would hire a person who had not cooperated with HUAC.

The Hollywood 10

Red Scare Influence on Hollywood

Influence on Society

The Alger Hiss Case• 1948

• Whittaker Chambers—a Time editor and former communist (now a staunch anti-communist)—accused Alger Hiss of having been a communist.

• Hiss had worked for the State Department during WWII.

• Chambers said Hiss passed govt. secrets to him to give to Russia.

• Hiss denied Chambers charges.

Chambers & Hiss

The Pumpkin Papers• Chambers claimed to have proof---microfilm

of documents given to him by Hiss.

• Chambers hid the microfilm in a pumpkin. (Thus the “Pumpkin Papers”).

• He gave the microfilm to Republican Congressman Richard Nixon of CA.

• Hiss was convicted of perjury (lying under oath).

• Sentenced to 5-years (he served 2).

The Rosenbergs• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were

accused of giving atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets.

• They wre members of the communist party.

• They denied the charges and refused to cooperate.

• They were executed in 1953.

McCarthyism

• Named after Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican).

• McCarthy was person most famous for making accusations that there were communists everywhere (including the government).

• McCarthyism = accusing people of being communist without evidence.

Wheeling Speech

• McCarthy gives speech in Wheeling, W.Va in which he claims to have the names of known communists working in the Sate Department.

• Makes him famous.

• Never produces the names.

• Goes on to make more charges.

The Tydings Committee

• Millard Tydings (a senator from MD.) Forms a Senate committee to look into the charges made by McCarthy.

• The Tydings committee finds that there is no truth to McCarthy’s charges.

• McCarthy claims that Tydings against him because he likes communists.

Why McCarthy becomes popular

• He quickly becomes the 2nd most famous politican in the 50s (behind IKE).

• Many people were afraid of communism during the 2nd Red Scare. They thought McCarthy was helping protect the country.

• Republicans liked that he made the Democrats look bad.

Ike and McCarthy

• Republicans liked McCarthy when they were not the majority party because his attacks put the Democrats on the defensive.

• Once the Republicans get the presidency and control congress, he becomes a headache.

• Ike criticizes McCarthy in private, but does not do anything publicly.

McCarthy Committee

• McCarthy gets his own committee to investigate communists in the U.S.

• Eventually, though, he starts to investigate army.

McCarthy-Army Hearings

• Televised.

• People see what a bully McCarthy is.

Murrow attacks McCarthy

• Edward R. Murrow was a famous reporter.

• Had a TV show called, See It Now.

• Had a whole episode in which the showed McCarthy was a liar and a bully.

• Greatly discredited McCarthy.

The End of McCarthy

• Combination of Army hearings and the See It Know episode lead to people turning against McCarthy.

• Censured by Senate.

• Dies of alcoholism a broken man.

Impact of McCarthyism• Negatively impacted many people’s lives.

• Helped to intensify a period of paranoia over communism.

• Made it so leftists/ultra liberals were marginalized in American politics.