McCarthyism

1
McCarthyism

• How 1950s American inspired
• The Crucible

2
1945

• World War Two ends
• USA and USSR had been united in their defeat of
  Nazi Germany.
• The Cold War begins.

3
1945 cont.

• The House of Un-American Activities Committee
  (HUAC) begins conducting investigations into
  Communists living in the USA.

Are you now or have you ever been a member of
the Communist Party?
4
1947

• As a result of accusations made against
  government employees, President Truman (Democrat)
  begins enforcing loyalty reviews of all civil
  servants.
• These reviews were designed by the Director of
  the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.
• Hoover was regarded as the countrys most
  powerful anti-communist.

President Harry Truman
5
1947 cont.

• HUAC begins subpoenaing movie industry
  professionals.
• Those brought before the committee are expected
  to name names of other people that they had
  seen at Communist meetings.

6
The Hollywood Ten

• Ten of Hollywoods most well known movie
  professionals were brought in front of HUAC. They
  refused to answer any questions asked of them
  under the First Amendment (The right to freedom
  of speech).

• This was not successful and all ten were
  sentenced to prison for contempt of Congress.(To
  the right are 9 of the 10 men.)

7
November 1947
Eric Johnston, the President of the Motion
Picture Association of America announces that
they... will not knowingly employ a Communist or
a member of any party or group which advocates
the overthrow of the government of the United
States. This statement confirmed that those seen
not to be cooperating with HUAC would be
blacklisted from the film industry.
8
1949

• USSR tests an atomic bomb.
• China becomes a Communist country.
• Fear and hysteria are spreading throughout the
  country.

9
1950

• The Korean War begins (U.S., U.N. and S. Korea
  against Communist N. Korea and China)
• Communist spies start emerging in U.S.A. and U.K.
• Arthur Miller begins to consider writing a play
  about what he is witnessing.

10
1952

• Elia Kazan, film director and friend of Arthur
  Miller, is called in front of HUAC and names 8
  people as being members of The Communist Party.
• Arthur Miller visits Salem, studies transcripts
  of the 17th century witch trials and subsequently
  writes The Crucible.

11
1953

• Dwight Eisenhower (Republican) becomes President.
  He continues the loyalty reviews of government
  employees.
• Senator Joseph McCarthy is made chairman of the
  Senate Committee on Government Operations and
  begins his own investigations into finding
  Communists. His approach is aggressive and
  persistent.
• The first production of The Crucible opens on
  Broadway.

12
1953-54

• McCarthy begins investigating the U.S. Army.
  Opinion polls drop and he becomes an object for
  ridicule.
• One Senate committee found McCarthys behaviour
  as a chairman to be inexcusable reprehensible
  vulgar and insulting

13
Arthur Miller subpoenaed

• 1956 - Arthur Miller is called before HUAC.
  Before the meeting Miller is assured that he will
  not be asked to name names.
• Miller arrives at the hearing with his soon to be
  wife Marilyn Monroe.
• During the questioning the chairman goes back on
  his promise and asks Miller to give names.
• Miller replies I could not use the name of
  another person and bring trouble on him
• Miller is found in contempt of Congress. He is
  sentenced to a 500 fine or 30 days in prison, is
  blacklisted and disallowed a U.S. passport.
• In 1958 his charge is overturned.

14
Americans accused of being communists

• Librarians
• The Army (and some generals)
• Democrats
• American Indians
• College students
• University professors
• Feminists
• Film stars
• Abstract artists
• American writers and playwrights
• Teenagers and juvenile delinquents
• Girl Scouts
• and more!

15

• 1959 - Former President Truman declares HUAC the
  most un-American thing in the country today.