What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen?

Ellen Schrecker traces the history of McCarthyism.

1. What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen? - Ellen Schrecker
https://youtu.be/N35IugBYH04
In the 1950s, as part of a campaign to expose suspected Communists, thousands of
individuals were aggressively investigated and questioned before government panels.
Named after its most notorious practitioner, the phenomenon known as McCarthyism
destroyed lives and careers. But how did this episode of political repression take off?
Ellen Schrecker traces the history of McCarthyism.
1.- What was the goal of McCarthyism?
A Rescinding democratic freedoms of citizens
B Destroying careers of politicians
C Exposing suspected communists
D Limiting governmental regulations
2.- How long did the era of McCarthyism last?
A One year
B Twenty-five years
C Over a decade
D It never ended, it continues still today
3.- The American Communist party faced attacks from:
A Conservatives
B Liberals
C Business leaders
D B and c only
E All of the above
4.- Which organization run by J. Edgar Hoover sought to hunt down and eliminate
communists from any position of influence in society?

2. A The CIA
B The FBI
C The Supreme Court
D The Senate
5.- Failure to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee could have
resulted in being:
A Blacklisted and fired
B Jailed for contempt
C Deported
D A and b only
E All of the above
6.- It is the 1950’s in the United States. You are suspected of being a Communist.
What are some of your “characteristics?”
7.- Why did government officials knowingly not oppose McCarthyism? What was
result?
8.- How can something like McCarthyism be used as a partisan weapon against another
political party? Give an example.
Interested in learning more about McCarthyism? Start with the educator, Ellen
Schrecker. She is the author of: Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in
America and The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents.
What was the House Un-American Activities Committee? Read about it here. The
Hollywood Ten were writers blacklisted for Communist affiliations. Visit this site to
learn more and be sure to scroll down to fin d even more resources on McCarthyism.
Who exactly was Joseph McCarthy? He was described as a fear monger, but what
kind of man was he really? Learn more about McCarthy here.
For some more information on the Cold War, read The Cold War: Crash Course US
History #37.

3. Curious about exactly what was the McCarthy Era like? Click here. This video also
provides a great summary of McCarthyism: Enemies Within: Joe McCarthy -
Spreading Lies and Ruining Lives.
Finally, watch Senator Joseph McCarthy on Face the Nation as he responds to
questions about the hearings he conducted.
DISCUSS
Outrageous, distorted, fabricated, reckless, and extreme are all words used to
describe McCarthy and his goals. Do you think something similar could happen in
today’s world?