Pervasive Red Scare Of The 1950s Analysis

The Red Scare in the 1950’s was actually America’s second red scare. The 1920’s red scare was what helped start suspicion over Communists, but was put off during World War 2. It was no coincidence that what many people called the second red scare ignited after World War 2, during the Cold War, in the 1950’s. The 1920’s red scare started because Americans were paranoid over the fact that Russia may seek revenge after they had overthrown a royal Russian family in 1917. What started Communist ideas in the U.S at the time was the fact that since the war was over many of people were out of jobs which

After World War II the next threat was the Soviet Union and the growing amount of communism. The fear of communism breed the conformist 1950’s, which created suburbs, consumerism, “organization men”, domesticated women, car culture, and explicit gender rules (I&J, 43-58). Communism engulfed everyone so much that people were afraid to be different. The culture of the 1950’s was not only seen in their everyday lives but shown through advertisements.

The First and Second Red Scare of the United States paved the way for a long standing fear of communism and proved to be one of America’s largest periods of mass hysteria. Throughout the years authors and analysts have studied and formed expository albeit argumentative books and articles in an attempt to further understand this period of time; the mindset held during this period however is shown to be completely different compared to now.

Red Scare – Period of anticommunist hysteria that swept the United States after World War I

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.

The 1950's were viewed as a decade of prosperity for many Americans. For lesbians and gay men, it was both a time of great fear and immeasurable courage (“Coming Out in America”). During the fifties, being different in America was seen as a crime to many Americans especially to an individual named Senator McCarthy. Senator McCarthy was a Republican senator from Wisconsin during the late forties and fifties. He is known best for being the leader of what are called Red Scare and the Lavender Scare. The Red Scare was the fear of the emergence of Communism in America during the Cold War. Not only did Senator McCarthy accuse people of being communist throughout the decade, but also accused some of being homosexuals as well. The discrimination of homosexuals during the forties and fifties is referred to as the Lavender Scare. Because of the spread of Communism and the societal views on homosexuality during the fifties, many Americans thought of this as the era of great conflict and fear.

The Red Scare took place in the late 1940’s and early 50’s during the Cold War and was an event that occurred in the U.S. The Red Scare was the episode of Americans being afraid of the spread of communism which led America to take desperate actions to stop it from spreading such as McCarthyism. One of the many things America did was make it mandatory for federal employees to be analyzed to tell if they were a communist. Another was the HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee)

In the 1950’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy turned Americans against each other by installing fear in the people regarding toward Communism. During this time, in fact, people were getting blacklisted even if they weren't communist. In an incident at the Republican Women’s Club of Wheeling, McCarthy delivered a speech. The situation involving the Senator escalated when he stated that the State Department is infested with Communist. In this point in time, due to the false allegations, people went on a decade long period of witch hunts. Sam Roberts, the author of “A Decade of Fear” stated that in fact, “...thousands of alleged Communists in the U.S. were arrested and deported during what became known as the Red Scare.”

The Red Scare is referred to as America’s fear of communism. Taking a second to look back on History, American suspicion of communism first began in the 1920’s during World War One. Thirty years later, the paranoia over communism was stirred up by the influences of war against the Soviet Union, Un-American Activities committee and McCarthyism. This changed America’s perception of society and politics.

“The Red Scare of the 1950s, the years of Senator MCcarthy the city began condemning homes” (Normark 17.) When many social and interracial labor movements of the Left were dismantled. This was not an isolated case this was happening all over the country right before our own eyes. A 1950 far-sighted housing development of 3364 housing units proposed on a 278-acre site in the underprivileged downtown Chavez Ravine neighborhood. Elysian Park Heights, the project was intended to be the groundwork for citywide slum revitalization development. Regardless of how self-sufficient the residents of Chavez Ravine one of the more prominent Mexican American thriving communities served as a home to three Mexican Communities La Loma, Palo Verde and Bishop. Job and housing discrimination was one of the reasons the neighborhoods rallied around each other making them a thriving community. Despite of having no help from the city they had a school, church and vegetation. (Evanosky 80) Mexican families being discriminated everywhere else in the city they found refuge and decided to make Chavez Ravine their home. (Dennis Evanosky, Eric J. Kos, 80) Getting no response from the city, in spite of years asking for help to upgrade their community. The government condemn the habitat as a blighted area this changed their lives as they knew it. (80)

In the 1950s there was a red scare that threatened the United States with communism and Nuclear espionage. The scare was questioned if it was conspiracy or not, but it was justified because of the spies and Soviet Union threatening the United states security. Through decryptions, trials and investigations these threats were justified because of the Venona project, the project was a secret organization that gathered and decrypted messages from soviet military agency in 1940s, and the HUAC.

After World War I, a new threat flooded into the minds of the American population. Communism was on the rise and it was causing a lot of concern within the American populace. The Red Scare was the nationwide hysteria in America, caused by the spread of communism in the 1920’s. This fear of communism bled into many aspects of American life. It caused the U.S. government to target any American who’s patriotism was in question, and it contributed to Americans' negative attitudes towards foreigners in the 1920’s. In addition to “suspicious individuals”, the U.S. government also challenged labor unions and intimidated liberal constituencies. The Red Scare led to a range of actions that had a far-reaching and enduring effect on U.S. government and

The significance of these triads is the United State’s post-war fear towards immigrants. The Red Scare was a postwar hysteria fed by labor strikes, bomb scares, and the fear of Germans. During the time of race riots and labor strikes, home made mail bombs being sent to the homes of popular or important people were becoming a familiar fear to the public. The postal service attempted to intercept them all, but a few bombs slipped through killing people and destroying houses. This caused the fear of immigration to rapidly increase throughout the United States. In June, 1919, Attorney General Mitchell Palmer, after having the front of his home blown up earlier that month, alongside the Justice Department begin to deport radical aliens. Thousands

McCarthyism shook up the United States during the 1950’s. The Man all behind it was Senator McCarthy.McCarthy was a senator which lots of great achievements! He was the youngest member of the Senate. For the most part McCarthy flew under the radar and did not really make his presence known, “He helped pass a bill to end sugar rationing.” Majorly all he did was under the radar until that one day when he gave that speech in West Virginia on February 9,1950.As McCarthy gave that speech he held up this paper and said “I have here 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

The postwar Red Scare was undeniably induced by the massive fear of communism during that time period. Americans became terrified of the advancement of Soviet Communism after World War II ended. This panic was fueled by the media and film industry, as well as certain politicians, who depicted communists as villains hungry for world domination. Americans were afraid that communist countries were going to take away their freedoms if they became too powerful. This was because people in communist countries did not have the freedom of speech or religion, and were forced to work in deadly labor camps. Before, and during the war, America and the Soviet Union had been allies. After the war, it was discovered that certain federal officials had provided