Directly after the end of World War II, the United States faced a time like no other—the Cold War. The fear of communism and the totalitarian Soviet Union grew rampant, and the possibility of an impending all-out nuclear war gripped American minds. During this time, the fear of a breach in national security heightened, and a loyalty review program in the government was introduced by President Truman. Soon, this practice crept into society, as everyday citizens undertook the responsibility of “policing” each other—determining each other’s loyalty, with suspicion constantly clouding one’s mind. Amidst this, American historian Henry Steele Commager, a product of the University of Chicago “…where he received his Ph.B. and M.A. in philosophy…and returned for his Ph.D.” ("Commager, Henry Steele”), stepped onto the scene to dispute the anti-communist crusade he noticed was running rampant in his nation. As noted by Neil Jumonville, a professor at Florida State University, Commager a well-known partaker in discussing political and social events such as World War II and the New Deal, it wasn’t uncommon for Commager to show “…unmistakable activist traits well before any of [the events] occurred” (Jumonville “The Origin of Henry Steele Commager 's Activist Ideas”). …show more content…
This was especially true in reference to the age of McCarthyism, for three years before the coin was even phrased, Commager penned “Who is Loyal to America?”, an eye-opening, truthful exposé on the anti-communist crusade and its impact on the definition of loyalty during the Cold