Mccarthyism : America 's History

Even though McCarthyism is not as gruesome as the Witch trials, it did destroy people’s reputations, they were unable to get a job, and as mentioned before, it made it so people that were accused of being communist were not accepted in

Since the late 1940s, American cinema has been obsessed with the idea of the atomic bomb and what it stands for; whether that be destruction or absolute power depends on the film. This symbolism would then come to define the 1950s, and later on American cinema as well. This symbolism then must be addressed from the lenses of, both, history and socio-political commentary. Then the question must be posed why specifically these two lenses? The answer to this question, then, lies in the films of the 50s, and beyond. Whether this answer lies in the apocalyptic imagination present in the films or the politics of the time, McCarthyism would influence American culture far beyond the 50s, depends on the historian who is asked. The answer, then,

McCarthyism is defined as the practice of making accusations against someone who is believed to be associated with the Communist party. In February 1950, Senator McCarthy rose to the public eye when he gave a speech at

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.

McCarthyism was the going away or getting rid of communist in the U.S. McCarthy began to gain followers who also wanted to get rid of these undercover people. (World Book 332-333) The Government searched federal employees and asked questions like the type of books and magazines they read, organizations they were part of, and if they

The “communist” scare was causing people to go ballistic and the government had to try and find some means of controlling the public. They began to prosecute and imprison anyone who they suspected of being involved with communism. The government gave people very little chances to prove their innocence and instead just wanted to get rid of them. They had to show that they were in charge and make the American people feel safe in their own country. This account in the McCarthy era is very similar to that of the Salem Witch Trials. The government persecuted anyone they thought to be a “witch”. They had very little to no evidence that these accused people were ever even involved in witchcraft, but they wanted the fear to cease among the people. The occurrences in both the McCarthy era and the Salem Witch Trials mirror each other. Both governments wanted their people to feel safe and for them to know that they were in

To talk about McCarthyism we must first look at what was going on in the United States at the time. WW II had just ended a few years prior, and the cold war was in full swing. Following WW II, for the US Government to be able to spend so much of the taxpayers money on the cold war, the Government had to get the US citizens behind them. To do this the US government started a propaganda campaign to scare the public into thinking the communists were bad and very dangerous people. That the communist people, their way of thinking, and their type of government had to be contained. There were several things that happened to help in-force what the government was saying. First Czechoslovakia and China fell to communism.

McCarthyism is very similar to what happened during the Salem Witch Trials. The Witch Trials were during a time in early American history when people were very superstitious and religious. During the Salem Witch Trials many people were accused for no reason. Some things they were convicted for were being an old woman, not knowing the ten commandments, and for being disabled. This went on for more than one hundred years across Europe before moving on to the Americas. Many people convicted were put away or killed on false charges known as fallacies.

McCarthyism was important during the 1950s, because many people feared Communism. Consequently people (falsely) accused each other of being a communist and people often lost big parts of their lives, like their job. Nobody trusted each other, so without evidence people started accusing each other.

In this process essay the reader will learn how the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are similar. Both situations ended up taking on a mob mentality. The Salem Witch Trials started in 1690s when the Trials began, and by the end, over 200 people were accused of witchcraft. The people had a strong belief of the devil and were very religious. The outside threats that were surrounding the people of Salem had created a fear and suspicion within the town. Eventually, the people in Salem realized their mistakes.

Many people in this world are accused of crimes so absurd that when put to trial, they name others of the same crime to redirect the focus from them to others like it happens in the actual day, every year, with minor cases. McCarthyism was one of those cases that changed history, likewise the Salem Witch Trials. McCarthyism had the same effect on people, people who were accused of communism blame others to lessen their penalty like in the Salem Witch Trials, so how the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Era can connects although the great difference in time?

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.

The individuals, who were persecuted during what is now referred to as the “McCarthy Era,” had their once prominent careers destroyed. They lost their friends and family, and all based on untrue rumors which were spread about them, such as planning to start a revolution and attempt to overthrow the Government of the United States. At no time did the Communist Party have the manpower or financial resources to do anything more than a small demonstration and no party member from Hollywood gave serious thought to even that idea.

The Communist regime in China and the Korean war had such an impact on the Red Scare and the rise of McCarthyism. Many Americans were unjustly persecuted as being communists with no evidence. At the height of Joseph McCarthy’s political power a constitutional right was taken from everyday citizens. Senator Joseph McCarthy was a main politician who played on many persons fear of communism for political gain. According to Encyclopedia of World Biography (2016) He was born on November 14, 1908 in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. Joseph was one of nine children who was of Irish descent. His family was Catholic, literate but uneducated. It wasn't until 1935 Joseph graduated from Marquette University practicing law. According to American Political Leaders(2001),

Joseph McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as U.S. Senator. He was from the state of Wisconsin. He served in Congress from 1947 until his death in 1957. In 1950, McCarthy started to become the most well known face for a period of time in the United States. Cold War worries caused fears of widespread Communist subversion. McCarthy is known for claiming that numerous Communists and Soviet spies had infiltrated the United States government, business, etc. Ultimately, the foul tactics he used led him to be scolded by the U.S. Senate. The word "McCarthyism", started in 1950 referring to McCarthy's habits. Today, the word is used in reference to what are considered subversive, reckless, and suspicious