The Second Red Scare
The McCarthy era, which generally spanned from 1947 to 1957, brought to the forefront of American politics the question of civil rights. At issue were controversies about both First Amendment rights to assembly and free speech and Fifth Amendment rights to due process and freedom from self-incrimination. Anti-Communist actions often involved restrictions on these rights, and heading the anti-Communist movement was the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). This committee, which consisted of government officials from Congress, was formed to investigate the threat of Communism in America. In doing so, the committee brought in witnesses, usually individuals thought to have, or to have had, Communist affiliations. The overzealous tendencies of HUAC, however, resulted in the use of bullying and smear tactics in its quest to expose a supposed Communist conspiracy. Coming to the defense of individuals under attack by anti-Communists was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU’s aim was to champion civil rights, regardless of the ideologies of the groups it defended. Its activities have ranged, for example, from defending the rights of Nazis to protest during the seventies to espousing the abolition of segregated schools in the South during the fifties. In the McCarthy era, the ACLU had its hands full dealing with threats to civil rights that stemmed from anti-Communism. The ACLU, however, was not without its own anti-Communistic sentiments. Indeed, within the ACLU was a cadre of anti-Communist members that made it difficult at times for the ACLU to take a strong stance for the civil liberties of suspected Communists.
This side of the ACLU often gets overlooked, as do the original intentio...
... middle of paper ...
...arvard U.P., 1955.
Kazan, Elia. “Executive Hearing.” Laws and Orders: Humanities and the Regulation of Society.
Ed. Gail Hart. Boston. Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002: 402-408.
Parnell, Thomas. “Transcripts from Hearing Before the House Committee on Un-American
Activities (HUAC).” Laws and Orders: Humanities and the Regulation of Society. Ed. Gail Hart. Boston. Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002: 398-401.
Schrecker, Ellen W. “Archival Sources for the Study of McCarthyism.” The Journal of American
History. 75.1 (June 1988): 197-208. JSTOR. California Digital Lib., U of California,
Irvine. 11 May 2002 .
Walker, Samuel. In Defense of American Liberties: a History of the ACLU. New York. Oxford
U.P., 1990. JSTOR. California Digital Lib., U of California, Irvine. 13 May 2002
.
...y Wheeling speech created nationwide hysteria, and with its impeccable timing just days after the conviction of the State Official Alga Hiss for lying under oath about his association with the communist Soviet as a spy, fueled the fight on communism. (citation) McCarthy war on communism during the “Second Red Scare” did not leave any individual safe from accusations. He attacked government agents, entertainment industry workers, educators, union members, and alienated the left-wing Democrats. McCarthy helped to create the atmosphere of suspicion and panic with his growth in media coverage. McCarthy’s words made for big headlines and the media was quick to cover his stories. This exposure helped facilitate American approval of McCarthy and empowered him to make more accusations on those suspected of subversion. In 1953, McCarthy headed the Government Operations Commit
Minority groups comprised of African Americans and Hispanics. This led to the formation of a number of civil rights groups for the African Americans that were continually being infringed by the whites. As the USA was fighting against racial discrimination, it was still criticizing communism by the Soviet Union. The president recommended that the Senate pass bills that would regard and promote equal rights and privileges for all the American citizens. Despite the failure of the recommendation, Truman, the president, then used the executive powers bound to him in the desegregation of the armed forces.
The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was created in 1938. They were focused on investigating and putting an end to Communists and Communist supporters in the American Society. Their first major attack was on the Hollywood film industry. Communists in the Hollywood industry were said to be placing subversive messages into films. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and others like Senator Joseph McCarthy pestered communists and supporters of the Communist party. McCarthy conducted “witch hunts” in effort to seek out and eliminate suspected Communists. Congressional hearings were in effect, not hearings, but trials for crimes that were not really crimes, with congressmen serving as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Unable to deprive a person of their life and liberty, they deprived him of his livelihood. If the person refused to give the names of other Communists, he or she would automatically be considered guilty.
Communism is everywhere. And many people were involved in communism around the world especially during the 1950’s. One main person involved in american communism was Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy, although negatively, was very much involved in the search for communists in the United States of America.
Friedman, L. S. (2010). What Is the State of Civil Liberties in the United States?. Civil liberties (pp. 11-49). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.
All throughout history civil liberties have been established, fought for, and abused. During the first quarter of the twentieth century, the civil liberties in the United States of America were tested. There were many events where the freedoms that our founding fathers had fought for Passive Voice (consider revising). Prejudice, fear, and racism all played a role during these events, during many of which they decided the outcome. Two events that demonstrate when the civil liberties in America were tested were during the trial of Sacco and Vanzettii and Schenek v. United States.
Red Scare America 1920 World War I was finally over, however, there was a new threat to Americans. The. This threat was Communism, which was greatly feared by most. U.S. citizens. Communism is "a system of social and economic organization" in which property is owned by the state or group, to be shared in common.
Rose, Carol. "American Civil Liberties Union." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., 08 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Ordinance as the source of rights, privileges, and immunities." The Yale law journal. no. 7 (2011): 1820.
The attitude of the citizens of the United States was a tremendous influence on the development of McCarthyism. The people living in the post World War II United States felt fear and anger because communism was related with Germany, Italy, and Russia who had all at one point been enemies of the United States during the war. If the enemies were communists then, communists were enemies and any communists or even communist sympathizers were a threat to the American way of life. "From the Bolshevik Revolution on, radicals were seen as foreign agents or as those ...
As World War I was heading towards its end Russia was focusing on internal issues. Led by Vladimir Lenin the Bolsheviks embarked on a campaign against the war. Using propaganda which focused on trying to turn the allied troops against their officers Lenin looked to inspire a socialist revolution. The Bolsheviks were also fueled by the poor conditions of the Russian Army. Nicholas II, in a letter to his wife Alexandra, admitted the obstacles that the Russian Army faced, "Again that cursed question of shortage of artillery and rifle ammunition - it stands in the way of an energetic advance." Czar Nicholas tried to deny the fact that his Army was in no condition to continue the fight. Lenin and the Bolsheviks used this information to gain the support of the Russian people who had grown to resent Russian involvement in the war. With the constant failures the Russian military faced the Bolsheviks took this opportunity to take action. On 25 October 1917 the Lenin-led Bolsheviks seized control of the Russian government. This Russian revolution had little effect on America until 1919. With the war over Americans began to focus more on domestic matters, the biggest issue being the fear of communism in the United States. 1919 Marked the beginning of the first Red Scare. This was a period of extreme fear of communism in America. One of the main missions of the Bolsheviks was to spread Communism around the world. Americans, against the idea of government controlling every aspect of its citizens' lives, took any action they could to prevent it from spreading to the United States. The main leader of this state of hysteria was A. Mitchell Palmer, President Wilson's Attorney General. Palmer feared that communist agents were trying to infiltrat...
28.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 920.
many aspects of the fight for civil liberties that it is difficult to cover it
Schultz, David, and John R. Vile. The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America. 710-712. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale Virtual Reference Library, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .
The McCarthy Era was a period of history that began in the late 1949s and ended in the mid late 1950s. This was also called the Second Red Scare in the United States. The McCarthy Era had many innocent victims and many of them were imprisoned. Several authors, actors, civil rights activists, and physicists were among the many victims that were blacklisted. Due to McCarthy’s witch-hunt many victims’ reputations were destroyed and their families ...