Cold War 4- American Domestic Issues
“I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of
State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and
shaping the policy of the State Department.” Senator Joseph McCarthy
America’s fear of communism
• The fear of communism developed in the USA in the years after the Bolshevik Revolution
of 1917 in Russia.
• The CPUSA (American Communist Party) had existed since 1919 and had around 5000
active members (around 1000 may have been FBI informers!) in 1950.
• That’s not a major political force considering America’s population of 150 million people!
But it had had 80,000 during the Great Depression in the 1920’s.
• Containment, the Berlin Blockade and Stalin’s action in Eastern Europe made America
more and more suspicious.
• In 1948 Alger Hiss an important member of the Roosevelt’s government team was accused
of being a spy.
• Organisations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the House Un-
American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated anyone thought to be associated with
communism.
• Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed in 1950 to know around 205 Communists
working within the US Government...and many thought he might be onto something. A
Red Scare and Communist witch-hunt ensued
What Was McCarthyism?
Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed in 1950 to know around 205 Communists
working within the US Government. 1950, Senator McCarthy claimed he had a list of over
200 Communists, this time in government! McCarthy was surprised by the amount of
publicity his claim generated and used this to attack more people. When politicians
publicly denounced what he was doing, he would claim that they too were Communists.
Because hysteria over Communism was so real, many believed him. Ordinary people grew
suspicious of their friends, neighbours and family members. Thousands lost their careers
as a result of his witch hunt for Communists
The HUAC and the Hollywood 10
From the 1930s, US Congress had a House of Un-American Activities Committee. It
had the right to investigate anyone who was suspected of doing anything… ‘un-
American’ (Communist!). The FBI had evidence that a number of Hollywood’s
finest were members of the Communist Party. HUAC called them in for
questioning and they became known as the ‘Hollywood Ten’. All refused to answer
questions. They were each jailed for one year for contempt of court because they
refused to answer questions and Hollywood studios ‘blacklisted’ them, so they
never worked in production again.
Some of these people include Allan Bessie, Lester Cole and Albert Maltz
, The role of the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had a strongly anti-Communist director, J
Hoover. After WW2 Hoover investigated current and former employees to see
whether they had any affiliations with the Communist Party. From 1947-1950,
around 3 million were investigated. While no one was charged, 212 were said to
be security risks
The Communists
The CPUSA (Communist Party of the USA) had existed since 1919 and had around
5000 active members (around 1000 may have been FBI informers) in 1950
During the great depression this force was around 80,000
Still, this was not much considering the USA’s population of 150 million people
Fear of the USSR
The Soviets ‘discovering’ their own atomic bomb, containment, the Berlin
Blockade and Stalin’s actions in Eastern Europe made America more and more
suspicious
1948: Alger Hiss, a member of FDR’s administration was accused by a journalist of
being a member of the Communist Party
He was convicted in Jan 1950 of perjury
This raised questions about Truman’s administration- he was accused of being soft
on communism
Especially after the Loss of China, his position was also weakened and suspicions
heightened
The successful test of an atomic bomb by the USSR added to the fear of the ‘Red
Menace’, a threat to the free world that the US needed to stand against
Organisations such as the Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the House Un-
American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated anyone thought to be
associated with communism
“I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of
State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and
shaping the policy of the State Department.” Senator Joseph McCarthy
America’s fear of communism
• The fear of communism developed in the USA in the years after the Bolshevik Revolution
of 1917 in Russia.
• The CPUSA (American Communist Party) had existed since 1919 and had around 5000
active members (around 1000 may have been FBI informers!) in 1950.
• That’s not a major political force considering America’s population of 150 million people!
But it had had 80,000 during the Great Depression in the 1920’s.
• Containment, the Berlin Blockade and Stalin’s action in Eastern Europe made America
more and more suspicious.
• In 1948 Alger Hiss an important member of the Roosevelt’s government team was accused
of being a spy.
• Organisations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the House Un-
American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated anyone thought to be associated with
communism.
• Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed in 1950 to know around 205 Communists
working within the US Government...and many thought he might be onto something. A
Red Scare and Communist witch-hunt ensued
What Was McCarthyism?
Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed in 1950 to know around 205 Communists
working within the US Government. 1950, Senator McCarthy claimed he had a list of over
200 Communists, this time in government! McCarthy was surprised by the amount of
publicity his claim generated and used this to attack more people. When politicians
publicly denounced what he was doing, he would claim that they too were Communists.
Because hysteria over Communism was so real, many believed him. Ordinary people grew
suspicious of their friends, neighbours and family members. Thousands lost their careers
as a result of his witch hunt for Communists
The HUAC and the Hollywood 10
From the 1930s, US Congress had a House of Un-American Activities Committee. It
had the right to investigate anyone who was suspected of doing anything… ‘un-
American’ (Communist!). The FBI had evidence that a number of Hollywood’s
finest were members of the Communist Party. HUAC called them in for
questioning and they became known as the ‘Hollywood Ten’. All refused to answer
questions. They were each jailed for one year for contempt of court because they
refused to answer questions and Hollywood studios ‘blacklisted’ them, so they
never worked in production again.
Some of these people include Allan Bessie, Lester Cole and Albert Maltz
, The role of the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had a strongly anti-Communist director, J
Hoover. After WW2 Hoover investigated current and former employees to see
whether they had any affiliations with the Communist Party. From 1947-1950,
around 3 million were investigated. While no one was charged, 212 were said to
be security risks
The Communists
The CPUSA (Communist Party of the USA) had existed since 1919 and had around
5000 active members (around 1000 may have been FBI informers) in 1950
During the great depression this force was around 80,000
Still, this was not much considering the USA’s population of 150 million people
Fear of the USSR
The Soviets ‘discovering’ their own atomic bomb, containment, the Berlin
Blockade and Stalin’s actions in Eastern Europe made America more and more
suspicious
1948: Alger Hiss, a member of FDR’s administration was accused by a journalist of
being a member of the Communist Party
He was convicted in Jan 1950 of perjury
This raised questions about Truman’s administration- he was accused of being soft
on communism
Especially after the Loss of China, his position was also weakened and suspicions
heightened
The successful test of an atomic bomb by the USSR added to the fear of the ‘Red
Menace’, a threat to the free world that the US needed to stand against
Organisations such as the Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the House Un-
American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated anyone thought to be
associated with communism
