Chapter 15 – Section 3 Terms to Know: 1. Subversion = to secretly weaken a society

and overthrow the govt. ( we feared that subversive elements might lead to a communist takeover)

2. Perjury = lying under oath (He was convicted of perjury)

3. Censure = formal disapproval (the Senate censured a member)

Return of “Red” fear! After WW II, our dislike and fear of

communism returned and grew. WHY were we so scared? 1. The SU – their takeover of Eastern Europe

and their desire to spread communism all over the world

2. There had always been a small communist party in the US – now we thought they were secretly recruiting and selling our secrets to the SU

So you might be a commie if.. With this new “paranoia” about possible

subversive elements in our midst – people began to question certain behaviors:

1. If you had previously joined the Communist Party (even if you quit) that looked suspicious

2. IF you read certain books, watched foreign movies, traveled a lot to foreign countries, belonged to groups that seemed “disloyal”

The government and CommunistsFELP ( Federal Employee Loyalty

Program) – this was started to make sure govt. employees were not possible “spies”.

From 1947-1951: 6 million Fed. Employees were “screened” by the FBI

2000 quit their jobs.212 were fired.

HUACHUAC (House Un American Activities

Committee) was started in 1938 (checking for Nazis and Fascists)

By 1947 – this committee was very active and started to hold public hearings of suspicious individuals.

J Edgar Hoover (head of the FBI) encouraged this search for communists.

Investigating HollywoodHUAC investigated the Motion Picture

Industry – what if they were spreading communists ideas and recruiting through the movies?????

Many people were called to testify and were expected to “name names” if they knew anyone who was OR HAD been a communist.

Results The Hollywood Ten were ten screenwriters

who refused to testify at these hearings. They were all fined, sentenced to one year in

jail and BLACKLISTED until the 1960’s. Ultimately, 151 actors, writers etc…were

blacklisted. Many careers were ruined – or interrupted.

Spy Hunting at Home… The govt. and the general public were afraid

Soviet spies or Americans working for the Soviet were giving or selling our atomic or govt. secrets.

Alger Hiss – state dept. official was accused of being a communist and a spy

He denied both – but A young congressman (Nixon) kept pushing.

Evidence surfaced that proved Hiss had been a communist – he was convicted of perjury.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg A New York couple (Former communists)

were accused of giving nuclear secrets to the Russians

They were tried and convicted – and executed by 1953.

Many felt they were not guilty but were scapegoats.

Information revealed in 1995 showed strong evidence of the Rosenberg’s guilt.

Joseph McCarthy Joseph McCarthy was a senator from

Wisconsin. In1950 he claimed to have a “list” of 205 people who…”are members of the communist party and are working for the State Dept.”

This “list” was never produced but people got very upset and McCarthy continued to accuse people without proof.

The McCarthy Hearings Starting in 1952, Congress held hearings to

question govt. officials about communists in govt.

McCarthy didn’t have proof but he argued and badgered witnesses (on TV) to the point where they seemed guilty.

People were afraid to stand up to McCarthy because they thought they would be his next target.

McCarthy and the Army By 1954, McCarthy had started to investigate

the army – his tactics were starting to be seen as bullying and cruel.

One army lawyer stood up to McCarthy, “Have you no sense of decency?”

After that – people saw McCarthy as a fake and the witch hunt stopped. The Senate censured him that year and he died of alcoholism in 1957.