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 Close Read: McCarthyism & the Red Scare CRObjective What was the Red Scare? How did it create and contribute to an atmosphere of paranoia amongst American citizens in the 1950’s? CR IntroductionIn the 1940’s and 1950’s Americans feared the growing popularity of Communism. The Soviet Union’s power had grown exponentially and the threat of nuclear attack felt very real to many Americans. Paranoia grew, and with the memory of Pearl Harbor still fresh in the minds of many Americans, fear of another surprise attack spread like wildfire. Suspicious of communists in the United States aiding the Soviet Union, the loyalty of many Americans began to be questioned. Brain Dump:What does it mean to be “American”? What does it mean to be “Un-American”? Directions: Below are 4 primary source documents on McCarthyism & the Red Scare. Read / view each document carefully, and answer the analysis questions that follow. Document 1 - Senator Joseph McCarthy, Speech at Wheeling, West Virginia, February 9, 1950 -1904990Six years ago, . . . there was within the Soviet orbit, 180,000,000 people. Lined up on the American side, there were in the world at the time, roughly 1,625,000,000 people. Today, only six years later, there are 800,000,000 people under the absolute domination of Soviet Russia—an increase of over 400 percent. On our side, the figure has shrunk to around 500,000,000. In other words, in less than six years, the odds have changed from 9 to 1 in our favor to 8 to 1 against us.This indicates the swiftness of the tempo of Communist victories and American defeats in the cold war. As one of our outstanding historical figures [Abraham Lincoln] once said, “When a democracy is destroyed, it will not be from enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within.” The truth of this statement is becoming terrifyingly clear as we see this country each day losing on every front. . . .The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our only powerful potential enemy has sent men to invade our shores . . . but rather because of the traitorous actions of many Americans. It has not been the less fortunate, or members of minority groups who have been traitorous to this Nation, but rather those who have had all the benefits that the wealthiest Nation on earth has had to offer—the finest homes, the finest college education, and the finest jobs in government we can give.This is glaringly true in the State Department . . .While I cannot take time to name all the men in the State Department who have been named as active members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring, I have here in my hand a list of 205 names that were made known to the Secretary of State [Dean Acheson] as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in that State Department….We are dealing with a far more sinister type of activity because it permits the enemy to guide and shape our policy. . . .What does “When a democracy is destroyed, it will not be from enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within” mean? Why might Senator McCarthy have chosen to use this quote to support his claims? Does Senator McCarthy cite or mention any evidence he has that proves the 205 government employees on his list are actually communists? What does that tell you? What is the tone of Senator McCarthy’s speech? Cite textual evidence to support your claims. Imagine you are a citizen of America in 1950. How could Senator McCarthy’s speech contribute to an atmosphere of paranoia amongst you and your fellow citizens? Document 2 - 1950’s film clip “How to Spot a Communist” Watch this series of film clips from the the 1950's documentary "How to Spot a Communist". What is the tone of this series of film clips? Based on the small portion you viewed, what do you think the main point of this 1950’s documentary was? What does that tell you about life in the 1950’s in America? How could this series of film clips have contributed to the atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion among American citizens? Document 3 - 100 Things You Should Know about Communism - Prepared and released by the Committee on Un-American Activities, US House of Representatives Washington DC According to this pamphlet, what is Communism? Is the definition accurate? In your opinion, is this pamphlet meant to induce fear? Cite evidence from the text to support your claims. This pamphlet was produced by the US Congress and was given out to congressmen. What does that tell you about the origins of the Red Scare? Document 4 - HUAC & Hollywood - Video Clip from “American Masters - None Without Sin” Watch the film clip available here. This clip comes from a longer documentary called “American Masters - None Without Sin” - it chronicles the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee with regards to its investigations into Hollywood. Why does the video say Hollywood was a target? What had the film industry been accused of in the past?What was HUAC trying to prove? How did HUAC know that some of their witnesses had ties to the Communist Party?Do you think the HUAC investigations into Hollywood could have added to the atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion in America in the 1950’s? Why or why not? CRAnalysis Task Close Read: McCarthyism & the Red Scare Directions: Using information from the documents above, please respond to the following task. Task: Read the prompt below. Using the sources provided, the documents above, and your knowledge of US history - respond to the prompt below: Imagine you are an American citizen in the 1950’s. How could these four primary source documents have added to an atmosphere of paranoia or hysteria amongst you and your fellow citizens? Write a letter to an editor of the New York Times regarding your feelings of anxiety & demand that the government takes further action to protect American citizens during the Cold War. Cite evidence from at least two of these primary sources to provide evidence for your claims.Explain why you feel paranoid or anxious about your safety Explain how it impacts your daily life Describe what the government could do, in your opinion, to keep Americans safe In developing your answer, be sure to keep this general definitions in mind: explain means “to make plain or understandable; to give reasons for or causes of; to show the logical development or relationships of”describe means “to illustrate something in words or tell about it” ................
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