Preview

The Period Of Mccarthyism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
507 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Period Of Mccarthyism
Research Paper
- What is McCarthyism? The period of McCarthyism, named after a republican senator Joseph R. McCarthy, is said to have begun well before McCarthy¡¯s own involvement. During this period, which lasted from the 1940s to the 1950s, Senator McCarthy, who strongly opposed communism, claimed to have a list of the names of the communists in America. Though it was later found that this was a fraud, it certainly arose fears of communism in the minds of the Americans. Events of the 1940s and 1950s served to increase this sense of threat. In 1949, not only did China¡¯s communist army gain control of Mainland China, but there was also an explosion of atomic bomb of the Soviet Union.
- What is mass hysteria? Find examples in history.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    How Did Joe Mccarthy React To The Red Scare
    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Joe Mccarthy React To The Red Scare

    Communism; a threat to the nation of the United States of America. Many Americans believe that people who believe in Communist teachings are corrupt. In 1950, a historical event happened in the US timeline; the Red Scare. Joe McCarthy became a Senator for the state of Wisconsin in 1947. The Red Scare happened from 1947-1957, “The Cold War, which began after the end of World War II, was a period where Americans were extremely paranoid about the threat of Communism.” (“Background to the Red Scare” Par. 1) The Cold War was a period of time where citizens of the United States feared nuclear warfare with the Soviet Union. Joe McCarthy created a list of names that were people of power who were part of the Communist Party. He took a five-city tour,…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Second Red Scare Research Paper
    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Second Red Scare Research Paper

    In the years following World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union entered upon the brink of the Cold War, which lasted from the late 1940s into the early 1950s. During this time, the United States broke into hysteria over supposed threats of communist in the country, thus brining forth the second red scare. After rising to political power, Republican Senator Joseph P. McCarthy was not only looked upon as an enduring symbol of the red scare brining forth the term known as McCarthyism, but was able to have a profound effect on government and society forceing people to draw loyalties until the scares eventual fall.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between The Crucible And Mccarthyism
    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Similarities Between The Crucible And Mccarthyism

    McCarthyism, or the time known as the McCarthy Era, dominated our country from 1950-1954. During this time, there were many hearings in which people suspected of being related in some way to communism were interviewed and forced to give up names of others. If they refused to give up names of others, they were put in prison.…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analyzing Edgar Hoover's Communist Movement
    • 3377 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Analyzing Edgar Hoover's Communist Movement

    McCarthy was getting out of control  began to criticize Eisenhower for being to soft on communists…

    • 3377 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mccarthyism and Red Scare
    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mccarthyism and Red Scare

    Fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear is a chain reaction in the brain that causes stressful stimulus, causing the release of chemicals. This is what makes your heart race, fast heavy breathing, and energized or tense muscles. Fear can be the chain reaction through your own body and through your peers. In the 1950’s, after World War Two, there was the nationwide fear called the Red Scare. The ‘Red Scare’ is a period of time where there was strong anti­communism in the United States. Senator Joseph McCarthy became the public face of that movement. His intentions fueled fear of Communist subversion to the nation. The “Red Scare” caused America to be in fear of communism, motivating Senator Joseph McCarthy to take advantage of his power.…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Joseph Mccarthy: A Dangerous Political Movement
    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Joseph Mccarthy: A Dangerous Political Movement

    Joseph McCarthy is alive and well in today's society, and has been for many centuries, under different names and different faces, but the idea has never changed. Fear, doubt, and uncertainty became the unspoken anthem for many political movements throughout America's history, though it wasn't until the 1950s that the movement claimed the iconic name and face that we associate with it now. Even though it can be proven fruitful in the long run, McCarthyism is a dangerous political tactic that completely bypasses the individuals' constitutional rights; dangerous because it ignores the individuals' right to privacy, and because it provides a powerful political weapon for politicians to use to make people wary and uncertain about a particular group…

    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mccarthyism: Joseph Mccarthyism In The United States
    • 77 Words
    • 1 Page

    Mccarthyism: Joseph Mccarthyism In The United States

    McCarthyism was a widespread social and cultural marvel that influenced all levels of society, and was the wellspring of a lot of verbal confrontation and struggle in the United States.…

    • 77 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mccarthyism In Nickel And Dimed
    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mccarthyism In Nickel And Dimed

    Barbara Ehrenreich, a political journalist, found her writing inspiration a couple of years after the birth of her first child. Filled with political opinions and an itch to write, she took to her first successful pamphlet Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers. This started a wave of inspiration and success, leading to her New York Times Bestseller, Nickel and Dimed. While originally Ehrenreich started with a Biology major, ocne getting into writing it became the only thing she wanted to do (Ehrenreich, para 3 and 4). While the concept of Nickel and Dimed is one you arguably can not train or prepare for, Ehrenreich’s experience as a skilled journalist provided…

    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Joseph Mccarthyism Dbq
    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Joseph Mccarthyism Dbq

    Joseph McCarthy was a junior senator from Wisconsin who gave a speech in West Virginia in February 1950 in which he made the threat of communism clear to the people, “Today, only six years later, there are 800 million people under the absolute domination of Soviet Russia - an increase of over 400 percent. On our side the figure has shrunk to around 500 million. In other words, in less than six years the odds have changed from 9 to 1 in our favor to 8 to 5 against us” (Document G). The Soviet Union, whose form of government is communism, are extraordinarily dangerous. With the rate they are spreading world domination would not be far. With the 800 million the Soviet Russia has under their hand they can take on big powers such as the US. The…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare and contrast Salem witch trials v McCarthyism
    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare and contrast Salem witch trials v McCarthyism

    they did not confess to being a witch. One might think this isn’t a big deal, just confess and no…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Communism In The 1950's
    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Communism In The 1950's

    The 1950’s dealt with threats from the USSR and Communism which scared many people in the United States and soon became a full-fledged paranoia. There was fear of falling behind the advances of the Communist countries, especially among the Soviet Union, creating the Red Scare. As the Cold War with the USSR escalated, Americans increased their suspicions of Communist influences. Due to this, a special committee was formed in order to investigate Communists in America known as HUAC (The House Un-American Activities Committee). In 1947, HUAC accused ten people in Hollywood of supporting communist propaganda becoming blacklisted. As time went on, more individuals were being suspected of being Communists which eventually led to the act of McCarthyism…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    McCarthyism and the Red Scare
    • 529 Words
    • 2 Pages

    McCarthyism and the Red Scare

    Have you ever had that moment in your life when you thought to yourself, “Why would he do that, or why would that happen?” Well, that is just what many people thought about McCartyism and the Red scare after that time period had passed. The Red Scare was a point in time when many Americans believed that the uprising of communism would be among them. These waves of the Red Scare happened twice, once after World War One, and the second time, which was more significant, after World War Two. During this time period many people were extremely afraid of communism, so the ideals of McCarthyism rose up. McCartyism was named after Joseph McCarthy, who was the Senator of Wisconsin at the time. Joseph McCarthy’s actions, as well as The House Un-American Activities Committee, and Congress were not justified. It was breaking people’s Constitutional rights, ruining many peoples lives and careers, and because they interrogated hundreds and thousands of people who didn't even believe that communism should exist in our country.…

    • 529 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mccarthyism: Impact Of Communism In The United States
    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mccarthyism: Impact Of Communism In The United States

    McCarthyism was the period in the late 1940's and early 1950's when radicals were removed from every part of the US society. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin blamed several political affiliates of associating with or being communist. McCarthyism succeeded in separating left-wing ideas (and their long history in the working class movements) from American Society. Truman passed the loyalty Act in 1947 which forced government workers to sign anti-communist loyalty oaths to keep their jobs. Many people went to prison during this time where they were faced with poor conditions and abuse. There were many precise areas of American society that McCarthyism touched. In the area of social rule McCarthyism may have terminated much-needed reforms. As the nation's politics swung to the right after World War II, the federal government discarded the incomplete plan of the New Deal. National health insurance, a social reform held close by the rest of the mechanized world, fell to the side. The left liberal political coalition that may have maintained health reforms and related…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Mccarthyism and Its Effects on America
    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Mccarthyism and Its Effects on America

    McCarthyism not only destroyed the lives and careers of many Americans but also the innocent image of the country. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin was the same as any man. But when he cried Communism the world seemed to listen.<br><br>Following the Cold War between Russia and the United States there came many hardships, such as unemployment and high inflation. These hardships produced a restless society. The society then looked for something or someone to blame (Fried, 39). They found someone to blame. Communists. Throughout the country there was a witch hunt known as the Red Scare. A basic idea was formed: Communism was evil. Anyone who participated in such evil was considered illegitimate and were to be excluded from such things as sharing ideas, and jobs (Reeves, 136). This fear of Communism or anti-Communism as it was called could be described as a type of "virus." When all was calm in America the virus would fade, but the moment a crisis struck, the virus came back stronger than ever (Feuerlicht, 35). Communism was a threat not only for countries overseas but a threat for America and its people. It was a threat on the American way of life, a bruise on the phrase "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." (Feuerlicht, 45) And McCarthy helped spread this fear.<br><br>McCarthy and his ways challenged the Bill of Rights. "When free speech or due process are denied to any individual everyone's rights are jeopardized. Today's oppressors may become tomorrow's accursed group." (Feuerlicht, 154) And nothing is guaranteed more than the destruction of America when the freedoms promised by the Bill of Rights are denied (Feuerlicht, 154). McCarthy installed a fear in the people. But people feared tremendously the loss of their jobs. They feared that their political afflictions would reflect on their job status (Reeves, 99). By trying to keep America from becoming a Communist nation, McCarthy and his followers turned the country into an anti - Communist…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    First Amendment In American Literature
    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages

    First Amendment In American Literature

    The beginning of concerns over the spread of communism started around World War I, but it turned to panic when Alger Hiss, who was a high-ranking State Department official was convicted of espionage in 1947 under the democratic presidency of Harry Truman ("McCarthyism"). This fear was even further exacerbated with news that the Soviet Union had exploded its first A-bomb in 1949 and the world’s most populated nation, China, declared it had become communist ("McCarthyism"). It was at this time that a Wisconsin Senator by the name of Joseph McCarthy came to be known nationally for declaring that he was aware of a significant number of communist party members who worked in the United States Department of State. His claims initiated investigations into determining if any public official, high rank armed forces officers and even decorated war heroes were actually communist spies. His rampage continued on through 1954 when he made the fatal mistake of televising the hearings. The public could now see and hear how ruthless and vengeful his campaign against communism had become and turned against him. Soon thereafter other members of the Senate censured him and the investigations were abruptly halted ("McCarthyism").…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics