Joseph Mccarthyism Essay

After the end of World War II on September 2, 1945, a new era called the Cold War began. The Cold War was a non-violent state of political and military tension between the democratic and capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union: two of the biggest powers of the world at the time. However, they were drastically different in both economy and politics, allowing rivalry to build up. They both wanted to become the most powerful nation of the world, and both feared that the other nation would rise up to become the most powerful nation of the world.

McCarthyism- McCarthy was a senator famous for the communist hysteria in the 50’s. He blamed 205 State Department workers for having ties with communists. He gained support by playing into American’s fears of the spread of communism. Though some of these people accused of not being loyal were in fact not loyal, most weren’t. His accusations were mainly built on speculation. His smear tactics became known as McCarthyism. Once he questioned the army’s loyalty that was it and he was called out by Eisenhower.

In the 1950’s there was a scare of communism and people were being accused of being communist. From the article “McCarthyism: Witch Hunting and Blacklisting in the 1950s” “McCarthy's claims continued into 1954, this time targeting the Army. For eight weeks, in front of millions of television viewers, McCarthy questioned Army officials, including many war heroes.” Many people were getting questioned about being communist even though there wasn’t any real proof. McCarthy had questioned a lot of people including two people that had been Secretary of State. He had made a list of questionable claims, he didn't have any real proof but the Senate called for a full investigation. In the article “Famous Speeches: Joseph McCarthy's “Enemies from Within”, “This is glaringly true in the State Department, where those who were born with every possible advantage are the ones who have been most traitorous.” He is saying that the people with the most opportunities and that the country has been good too have been traitors. There is no actual evidence to this statement. He is picking out a group of people and using them. Because of his experience in the Red Scare he was able to write “The Crucible”.

At the end of the 1940’s and the beginning of the 1950’s, the United States were in the midst of the Second Red Scare and a fear that Communism might over throw the American way of life. Cold War tensions were at an all time high, which only fueled the widespread fears of Communist subversion. It was here that Senator Joseph McCarthy became a public face when he began making claims that the U.S. Government, as well as many other areas of the country, including the entertainment industry, had been invaded by Soviet and Communist spies, looking to destroy America from within. Hearings before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Hollywood Blacklisting, and anti-communist activity from the FBI soon followed. McCarthy was under intense analysis

During the Red Scare Era, McCarthy accused people of crimes they did not commit, he falsified evidence trying to frame them for being apart of the communist infiltration. McCarthy accused 224 people of communism,

The McCarthy hearings have been trials in which Senator Joe McCarthy accused authority’s personnel of being Communists. He exaggerated and exploited the proof and ruined many reputations. Blacklists have been created and lots of employers refused to rent the suspected or accused. (If they did then they could be accused.) Because of the exaggerated evidence and the seriousness of the charges, the hearings struck fear in many people. Even though at the start famous, the public began to surprise how some distance it would pass. After McCarthy accused the U.S. navy of housing Communists, his committee started to head downhill.

This occured in the 1950’s, when various Americans were questioned before a congrssional panel.(McCarthyism, 1) Senator Joseph McCarthy was to blame for this incedent.(McCarthyism, 1) Safegaurds promised by the Constitution were destroyed(Skohrecker 1). McCarthy made himself seem like America’s only salvation against the communist spies that were said to be among the United States Army.(McCarthyism, 1) In the after war years America was in fear of the communist. On February 9, 1950, McCarthy gave a speech and proclaimed there was 205 card-carrying members of the communist party who worked for the U.S. McCarthy accused and questioned very important people.(McCarthyism, 1)

During the 1950s there was a rise in the fear of communism called “The Red Scare”. Senator Joseph McCarthy was one of the many people who contributed to people’s fear by making a list of people who he said were communists even though there was no proof in most cases. In an article by Alan Brinkley called “The 1950s Part One: McCarthy and The Red Scare”, it informs, “McCarthy was only one of many who helped create the great fear. The Red Scare was visible in almost every area of American life” (Brinkley). This quote tell us that in the 1950s even though Senator Joseph McCarthy was a huge contributor to The Red Scare. His list of suspected communists made rumors spread and the people on the list get questioned and even go to jail when in some cases they were innocent. It also says in the article by USHistory.org called “McCarthyism: Witch Hunting and Blacklisting in America”, that, “In the 1950s anyone who was considered a communist could be questioned and thrown in jail” (USHistory.org). Which means that his allegations could have easily put people in prison.

Throughout the early 1950's, the nation was deeply engrossed in fears of a Communist takeover. At a time when America's fears were at their very height, Joseph McCarthy, a Republican Senator from Wisconsin pushed America's fears to an extreme. As a ploy to get himself re-elected, and to make America hate Communism as much as he did, the Senator devised a devious scheme. McCarthy, while giving a speech, held up a piece of paper and exclaimed, "I have here a list of 57 known Communists who are currently employed by the U.S. State Department" (Fried, 89). A few days later, McCarthy raised the number of people on the list from 57 to 205. The reaction to McCarthy's announcement was absolute panic. Until that time, the

Army officials of knowingly harboring Communists in their ranks. Many of his protagonists viewed him as going too far with this speculation. McCarthy soon found himself being investigated by Congress and the F.B.I., which was so-called Army-McCarthy Hearings. The Senate voted 67 to 22 to censure Senator McCarthy making him the fourth Senator who had been censured by the Senate.Dishonesty and malice were at the root of the Salem Witch Delusion and the Red Scare. Two contemporary individuals were blessed with the power to manipulate the justice system to their own advantages. Their vindictiveness brought their supremacy and reliability to a halt. Given that history repeated itself once, a strong atrociousness remains that it will repeat it’s self again. With those assumptions, in present times, we now have the fear ISIS that hey are a direct consequence of the Cold War-era governmental apparatus that statists grafted onto our constitutional republic after World War II that is known as the national-security state. In order to maintain this alien, undemocratic-like instrument in existence, fear had to become very

McCarthy started the age of McCarthyism on February 9, 1950 when he announced his first list. McCarthy stated, “I have in my hand a list of 205, a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who, nevertheless, are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.” Within the following weeks, McCarthy claimed that there were different numbers of communists within the United States that he had listed, including 57, as he told reporters, and later 81, as he told the Senate. McCarthy’s

Also during this time from the late 1940s to the late 1950s began McCarthyism and the scare of Communism being the United States. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin would be pushed into the public spotlight by the issue of anti-Communism. It was discovered later that the FBI had helped give McCarthy the information to help him start his campaign against Communism. For several years, McCarthy operated to seek out and destroy the lives of people whom he or others had declared as being a Communist. Lytle mentions that McCarthy charged that Communists had penetrated the United States by becoming involved in churches, the army, the CIA, and the hydrogen bomb program. Even after McCarthy’s eventual political death, McCarthyism still went on and took longer to fade away. McCarthyism was the lasting legacy of McCarthy that put the nation in a frenzy. It was characterized by false accusations of neighbors, family members, and friends and being part of the Communist party. These accusations meant that these peoples’ lives were over. They had no more authority, respect, or even career opportunities after being accused, albeit falsely.

During the era of McCarthyism, the country was divided by McCarthy’s accusations, threats, and intimidating tactics. Many Americans were accused of being Communist, both by their government, friends, neighbors and co-workers who had lost their jobs because of being accused of being Communists. McCarthyism had an enormous effect on the emotional aspect of the country. Non-Communists had to endure the trauma of being accused by their own country. McCarthy’s tactics were dishonorable, as was stated in the video, “McCarthyism,” McCarthy exploited the “Red Scare” for political gain; he claimed to have a list of people that were affiliated with Communism. He threatened the president, used severe intimidation, and threatened prison, when trying to

Republican senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin stood as the unmistakable leader for anti-Communism. McCarthy’s intention to draw attention was prominent when he made a notable speech regarding the infestation of Communist control in the State Department. His aim to receive publicity skyrocketed and lead him make false accusations of Communist control against Democrats in the United States. Even Senator Lyndon B. Johnson said McCarthy was “the sorriest senator in Washington. But he’s riding high now, he’s got people scared to death…”

How would you like if somebody came into you’re house and changed all the rules? During the McCarthy era (1940-1950), tens of thousands of Americans were accused of being communists and became the subject of long investigation. Most targets of the accusations were government employees, people working in the entertainment industry, educators, and union supporters (53a. McCarthyism). Many people lost employment of their job and destruction of their careers; some even were held in prison for years. According to many Americans the McCarthy era was one of the most depressing eras because of false accusations.