McCarthyism
The Witch Hunt without Witches
McCarthyism
A term for the widespreadaccusations and investigations ofsuspected Communist activities inthe U.S. during the 1950s.
-Insufficient evidence-Insufficient evidence
-Unfair-Unfair
-Used to suppressopposition-Used to suppressopposition
McCarthyism
Fed by the quick invention of the SovietAtomic Bomb. It was assumed spies musthave helped them.
Also China became Communist and TheKorean War.
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Blamed the problems of the U.S. on thesupposed secret presence of Communistsin the government
Joseph McCarthy
Senator Joseph R. McCarthy was a little-known junior senator from Wisconsin.
He claimed to possess a list of 205 card-carrying Communists employed in the U.S.Department of State.
How Did it All Start?
Communists in California and New York
All Citizens of the United States
Communism was not illegal
McCarthy wanted to expose them todecrease their credibility
Scared of bombing from Russia
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Loyalty Boards/ HUAC
Loyalty boardsLoyalty boardsinvestigated thefederal workersunder Truman’scommand tosearch
The senatorcreated theHouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee(HUAC)
Loyalty Boards/ HUAC
HUAC- most widely known for its investigationsof suspected Communist influence in the late1940s and early 1950s.
1947, HUAC subpoenaed 41 witnesses for itshearings on Communist influence in Hollywood.
The Hollywood 10
Ten of them, mostly writers anddirectors, refused to answer questionsat first, denounced the committee, andwere held in contempt of Congress.
These witnesses became known as the“Hollywood Ten” and were“blacklisted” from the industry formany years afterward.
Why it Worked
The Big Hollywood 10: 8 of 10 actorsrefused to appear in court and weresentenced to a year in prison
The blacklist: Informally, if you wereaccused of communism you could not behired
The Deal
McCarthyism is now used as areference to “reckless publicaccusations of disloyalty to theU.S.”
Sell out your friends andyou keep your reputation
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Effects of McCarthyism
Innocent people’s careers ruined-three hundred and twenty artistswere blacklisted (Among them wereArthur Miller and Charlie Chaplin.)
Arthur Miller & “ The Crucible”:
Miller wrote The Crucible as anallegory for the unjust accusationsof Joseph McCarthy.
Arthur Miller
Grew up during the Great Depression
Wrote screenplays for Hollywood
Won a Pulitzer in 1949 for Death of aSalesman.
1953- wrote The Crucible based on SalemWitch Trials.
He wrote the play during the McCarthyhearings when his friends were beingattacked for pro- communist activities.
Arthur Miller & “ The Crucible”:
When The Crucible opened in January of1953, audiences noted the similaritiesbetween the Salem witch trials and theHUAC investigations.
In 1956 Miller was called to testify before thecommittee. He was later convicted ofcontempt of Congress for refusing to namepersons seen at meetings organized by so-called Communist sympathizers. Miller’sconviction was overturned in 1958.