In the beginning of the 1950's, Senator Joseph McCarthy made a speech, declaring that he had a list of over 205 communists that were corrupting the government, this speech introduced the idea of "McCarthyism" to America. MCCARITHYISM IS THE PRACTICE OF FALSELY Accusing people of political disloyalty with out proper regard for evidence. This practice is mostly associated with the red scare. The red scare was a period of general fear of Communists. Nearly over a thousand people were accused of being communists or communists sympathizers.The people that were being accused lost their jobs, some were even incarcerated. These punishments were usually declared to be illegal or unconstitutional due to the lack of evidence, but many people still believed that everyone was a communist, and no one was to be trusted. From government officials to movie stars Many were accused of being a communist. tHE ACCUSED becaME THE ACCUSER JUST TO CLEAR THEIR OWN NAME. fortunately MCCARTHYISM DID NOT LAST FOR LONG. In the mid-1950's McCarthyism eventually ended, due to the fact that there was not much evidence TO HOLD AGAINST pEOPLE FOR BEING A cOMMUNIST.
Events:
Speech of Joseph McCarthy, Wheeling, West Virginia, February 9, 1950
The speech THAT JOSEPH MCCARTHY GAVE Out on february 9 1950, introduced the idea of mCCARTHYISM to AMERICA iN THIS SPEECH MCCARTHY ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD a list of OVER 205 names OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THAT WERE members of the Communist Party. MANY AMERICANS WERE FRIGHTENED AT THE THOUGHT THAT COMMUNIST WERE SHAPING OUR GOVERNMENT. tHIS SPEECH was the start of this whole practice.
Huac TRIALS
Huac trials WERE NUMEROUS of TRIALS, that were broadcast on tv, These trials were HELD by joseph mccarthy and by the House Un-American Activities Committee (huac). tHE PURPOSE OF THEse TRIALS WERE TO declare if the person being accused was actually A COMMUNIST and to SHOW AMERICANS HOW TO DETECT A COMMUNIST on their own. Many of these accusation were beyond RIDICULOUS. for example, if a person read "too much" they were considered a communist.if the person were to be found guilty of being a communist they lost their jobs or were sent to jail. Over a thousand trials were held and millions of people lives were being effected from these trials.
Hollywood BLACK list
The hollywood black list was a list of hollywood employees that were suspected of being a communist. This list was made in 1951, and destroyed many actors,producers,writers,and singers, composers, and AUTHORS careers. Over 300, people were on the black list. If you were to be on the black list you would not be hired to do any movies,shows,concert etc. Here are names of some of the hollywood employees that were accused:
Nelson Algren, writer[51]
Elmer Bernstein, composer and conductor[52]
David Bohm, physicist and philosopher[53]
Bertolt Brecht, poet, playwright, screenwriter
Charlie Chaplin, actor and director[54]
Aaron Copland, composer[55]
Bartley Crum, attorney[56]
Howard Da Silva,
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg trial
Julius and ethel rosenberg were United States citizens convicted of conspiracy of espionage (they allegedly sold secrets about the atomic bomb to the soviet union) during a time of war. Their trial began on march 6, 1951 and they were found guilty in 1953. even if the case was lacking much needed evidence, they were stilled found guilty and killed for being accused of being a communist.
Joseph McCarthy interview