8.3 The Red Scare

Loyalty Review Board, Smith Act, Dennis et al. v. United States, McCarron Internal Security Act, House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Whittaker Chambers, Alger Hiss, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Joseph McCarthy, McCarthyism

Loyalty Review Board

created by Truman Administration to investigate backgrounds of 3 million federal employees, thousands resigned or lost their jobs

Smith Act of 1940

illegalized advocating or teaching overthrowing the government by force; illegalized belonging to an organization advocating overthrowing the government by force

• Dennis et al. v. United States - supreme court upheld constitutionality of Smith Act

McCarran Internal Security Act

• unlawful to advocate or support establishment of totalitarian government

• restricted employment and travel of members of communist-front organizations

• authorized creation of detention camps for subversives

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

committee reactivated to find communists in government and organizations like Boy Scouts and Hollywood, compromising freedom of expression

Hiss case

• Whittaker Chambers - communist witness for House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), testified against Alger Hiss

• Alger Hiss - government official denied accusations of communism, convicted and sent to prison

Rosenberg case

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg found guilty of treason (atomic bomb spy ring) and executed

Joseph McCarthy

Republican who built his career off of rising fears of communism, claimed to have a list of communists in state department

• used stream of unsupported accusations to maintain media focus and discredit Truman

• McCarthyism - witch hunt for communists