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HUAC Hunts During The Cold War

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By the end of World War 2, the concern of Soviet Union (communism) taking over the world started to build up. When the Cold War started in 1947, many major events were taken in different countries. Unlike the Soviet, the American also fought the war in their homeland. U.S government afraid that the communist ideology is going drive American freedom, liberty, and right away. President Truman established a Federal employee Loyalty program for the employers to take loyalty oath to United States. This program is also known as an investigations on the employees who might have the possible connection to subversive group. Hundred of government worker were fired for possibility of being disloyal and thousands were forced to resign. Such events also carried out to the film industry known as the HUAC hunts. Unlike the film industry, the television program did not receive any major effect, in fact it gain a huge recognition in the 1950s. Majority of the program …show more content…

During his speech he also provide a list of 205 people who in the Security States are working for the communist party, but still working in State Department. Afterward he launched a crusade against the subversives that eventually help him to gain popularity. By 1952, McCarthy became the Government Committee on Operation of the Senate. Over the next few year, McCarthy used his newfound power to look for the subversives. All of his accusations were based on reckless reasoning. However, these reason drove many out of their jobs. Such accusation with reckless reason were known as the McCarthyism. McCarthyism causes the fear of speaking out injustice and being label as a

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McCarthyism era was this huge idea of creating terror and frenzy by accusing most of the people of being involved in an "unwelcome" repetition, and making deals like letting them go in exchange for turning in friends, family members, and acquaintances. Senator Joseph McCarthy worn with an accused communist stating, "Senator, have you no shame" (Miller 1995; 111; Schrecker 1994; 93). In these cases, fear, philosophy and suspicion threatened to destroy the "community" of people and put in its place a tyrannical lead. People then started looking away from each other and questioning and trying to find out if they have a communist ideology. This gave so much tense and stress to the

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In Roberts’ view, “At the height of his power in 1953, McCarthy became chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and used the platform to make further charges of Communist spying.” (Roberts 21). Particularly, this shows the secrets the government has been hiding which leads to Americans questioning their loyalty. Moreover, this ties into Americans betraying each other because it goes to show how McCarthyism held the power to enact this action. The government 's mischievous actions led everyone not to trust them.

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Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin believed communism was the most daunting threat to the American government at the time. Moreover, most Americans had only heard of communism, but were generally unaware of the topic until McCarthy preached his opinions. After his speech to the Republican National Convention in 1952, American citizens suddenly felt a responsibility to rid the country of communists. Although the thought of communism did not pose a danger to the average American, McCarthy’s rampant speeches made unknowing citizens feel a sense of urgency toward the topic. One reason Americans heard little of communism is because the government did not want them to know.

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In the 1940 's and 1950 's, an anti-Communist movement swept the United States of America. Fueled by the anti-Communist actions of Congress, particularly a Senator from Wisconsin by the name of Joseph McCarthy, the movement escalated and many people lost their jobs as a result of various blacklists. Congressional hearings, both in front of HUAC and McCarthy Senate committee were a study in organized persecution. The actions taken during the "Red Scare" were eventually given the general name McCarthyism. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

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After WWII and during the cold war the fear of a nuclear conflict helped to raise the crusade of the second red scare that was also known as McCarthyism (Schultz, 2013). The campaign was built on the concept of fighting against communism within the United States. However, this movement extended its influence by lessening civil rights and ending the political warfare for any and all groups or individuals no matter their position. President Truman fearful of allegations that there were communists within the US government, implemented the process of investigating the background of all public employees and would not hire anyone that was deemed a security risk. Another fear was the concern of the government being overthrown, and Senator Joseph

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McCarthy panicked as he searched for ways of political success. Edmund Walsh a catholic priest suggested that McCarthy should attack the communists. McCarthy accepted to the idea and began his crusade against communism. McCarthy took advantage of the fear of communists in America and started to call them out; and on February 9 1950 claimed he had a list of 205 people in the state department that were all communists. The American public got worried when they heard that and started to panic.

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Joseph McCarthy gained power because of people’s fear of communism (“Red Monday”). McCarthy claimed that 205 government officials were communists without supporting it with evidence which caused a panic (Fried 1). Frightened Americans asked for an explanation and instead McCarthy accused people, but he had the people’s support because he was against communists and that blinded people to the true facts (Fried 1). With the Smith Act and the House Un-American Activities Committee in place to ease the fear of communism, McCarthy’s unjust trials were able to be conducted (“Red Monday”). Rights were quickly being taken away to prevent the spread of communism, however, it was so that McCarthy could keep gaining power without anyone being able to say otherwise (“Red Monday”).

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In the 1950s, Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin was able to strike fear into the heart of the United States by exaggerating the possible threat of communism. Using his anti-Communist speeches, he was able to convince a large portion of the United States to be afraid of communists, and eventually start to hunt them down. He began falsely accusing public figures and practically anyone who he considered “un-American” of being communists. The people who were framed as communists could not prove that they were innocent, therefore they were doomed if incorrectly suspected. If someone was labeled this way, they could be fired from their job, and followed with heavy surveillance.

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