The Second Red Scare and McCarthyism Review (8.3)

What does red in the Red Scare refer to?

Soviet Communism

Red Scare Times

First during WW1, second after WW2

Taft-Hartley Act of 1947

• Made it more difficult for workers to strike

• Required union leaders to pledge not to being part of the Communist Party

Federal Employee Loyalty and Security Program (1947)

• Federal employees made to promise to not be communist or fascist

• Allowed federal investigations of them

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

• Search for communist influence in society

• Focus on Hollywood as possible messages spreading

The “Hollywood Ten”

• 10 Directors obviously communists

• Refused to testify in court

• Short prison sentences

• Blacklisted

1950 Speech

• Senator McCarthy

• Claimed to have names of 205 communists in State Department

• Closer to 60

McCarthyism

Made widespread fear of secret communists.

McCarthy Downfall

• Unable to prove 1950 speech in Senate

• Voted censure by Senate

The Rosenberg Case

• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg accused of espionage and stealing atomic plans

• Were members of Communist Party

• Executed by chair in 1953

• Julius found to be a spy

Soviet Union atomic bomb

• First tested in 1949

• People suspect American information was stolen