Homeless History - Unit 8: The Domestic Red Scare

Learning Objectives

• Explain the causes and effects of the Red Scare after World War II.

Understanding the Second Red Scare

• Historical Context: Distinct from the first Red Scare of WWI, this period occurred post WWII.
• Focus: Rooting out communism domestically.

Key Legislative and Government Actions

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

• Response to massive labor union strikes.
• Made it harder for workers to strike.
• Required union leaders to pledge non-membership in the Communist Party.

Federal Employee Loyalty and Security Program

• Executive Order by Truman (1947): Required federal employees to swear they were not communists or fascists.
• Allowed federal investigations into political affiliations.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

• Purpose: To search for communist influence within American society.
• Focus on Hollywood: Fear that communists were using the film industry to spread their message.
  • 1947: The Hollywood 10 were accused and summoned to testify in Congress; they were blacklisted and imprisoned.

Rise and Fall of McCarthyism

Senator Joseph McCarthy

• 1950 Speech: Claimed to have names of 205 known communists in the State Department.
• Inflamed fears of communism in the U.S.
• Outcome: Never publicly revealed names; later claimed only 57 communists.
• Senate Censure: McCarthy's inability to prove his claims led to a decline in his influence.

The Rosenberg Case

• Event: Soviet Union's test of an atomic bomb in 1949.
• Accusation: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg accused of espionage.
  • Outcome: Executed in 1953, though later research confirmed Julius as a Soviet spy.

Effects of the Red Scare

• Pervasive anti-communist sentiment in the U.S.
• Suppression of labor unions.
• Hollywood blacklisting of directors.
• Increased Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the U.S.

Conclusion

• Impact: Significant pressure on American society to root out communism, leading to widespread fear and legislative actions.
• Further Learning: More resources available for AP U.S. History and exam preparation.