7.4 Cold War Fears at Home

Red Scare

fear that communists both outside and inside America were working to destroy American life

Smith Act (1940)

made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow of the US gov

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A congressional committee that investigated possible subversive (disloyal, disruptive) activities by fascists, Nazis, or communists within the US

the Hollywood Ten

group of movie writers, directors, and producers who refused to answer HUAC questions about communist ties

blacklist

list of people who shouldn't be hired because of their suspected communist ties

What steps did Truman and Congress take to investigate communist influence in the US?

created the SMITH ACT (unlawful to advocate the overthrow of the gov) and the HUAC (investigated possible subversive activities by communists in the US)

Alger Hiss

former high ranking State Department official - investigated by HUAC as a communists SPY and convicted of perjury (willfully telling an untruth in court)

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

arrested and charged for espionage (spy work) - conspiring to pass secret info about nuclear science to Soviet agents -

EXECUTED :O

Venona Papers

revealed the names of many American who spied for the Soviet Union (including Hiss and the Rosenbergs)

Why did the Rosenberg case attract nationwide attention and controversy?

The thought that some Americans had helped the Soviet build an atomic bomb created lots of concern about internal security. Also, their case against them was based on the word of ONE confessed spy. Some believed that this case was driven by anti-Semitic sentiment (Rosenbergs were Jewish)

Joseph R. McCarthy

US senator; led a series of investigations into Americans he thought were disloyal to the US, his tactics became known as McCarthyism - helped define the Red Scare

McCarthyism

negative catchword for extreme, reckless charges of disloyalty

What events led to Senator McCarthy being censured by the U.S Senate?

McCarthy attacked and accused people without evidence - attacked George Marshall (national hero)

- also went after the US Army - claimed it was full of communists - that finally made the Senate decided to hold televised hearings of McCartney's accusations

In what ways did McCarthyism intensify tensions within the US during the Cold War?

- enflamed the Red Scare

-made people doubt the security of the government

- created tensions with homosexuals (considered vulnerable to blackmail and thus likely to reveal national secrets)

Explain the purpose of HUAC and the effect the committee had on the American public

PURPOSE: investigate possible disloyal activities and people

EFFECT: led to many many Americans losing their jobs because: 1. they had belonged to an organization on the Attorney's list

2. associating with ppl who were known communists

NO ONE was above suspicion

Discuss how the US involvement in the Korean War contributed to the fears Americans had about the communist threat during the Cold War

i suggest looking into this yourself :D - something about the US joining the war to fight communism, then led to people being scared abt the spread of communism, and then having a direct threat in the country made people go crazy...IDK

Why did the televising of the Senate hearings help end McCarthyism?

for the first time, the public saw McCarthy badger witnesses, twist the truth, and laugh at the suffering of others - very upsetting for Americans

Explain the debate on the convictions of the Rosenbergs, and how this debate changed when the Venona Papers were revealed.

-ppl thought they were arrested because of anti-Semetic sentiment

-were skeptical because only one person spread the word they were spies

BUT the Venona Papers confirmed they were guilty for spying for the Soviet Union