McCarthyism (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
What was the Impact of McCarthyism on the USA? - Summary
McCarthy was a US senator who created a second Communist scare in the USA. McCarthyism affected various sectors of US society. McCarthy’s targets included government officials, teachers, actors, entertainers and ordinary citizens. McCarthy subjected thousands of people to investigations, interrogations and public hearings known as "witch hunts".
McCarthy’s actions had a damaging impact on people’s lives. Around 9,500 government officials were dismissed. Over 15,000 people resigned out of fear of being fired. Approximately, 600 teachers lost their jobs. Many artists and actors were blacklisted. This means that they were unable to work again.
McCarthyism also included censorship and a lack of free speech. Society branded anyone who was liberal, a trade union member or showed sympathy for the poor as a ‘Commie.’ This created an anti-democratic atmosphere and stopped progress in areas such as civil rights.
McCarthyism impacted US politics and foreign policy. The fear of Communism fuelled by McCarthyism contributed to the escalation of the Cold War. It influenced the creation of containment which the US government followed for decades. It also affected the USA’s domestic policies. The government implemented loyalty oaths and government surveillance programmes. They also spread anti-communist propaganda.
The Development of the Red Scare
Much of the American population in the 1940s feared Communism in 1940s because:
Many US citizens had a longstanding fear of communism since the Red Scare in the 1920s
An increase in prosperity meant that Communism became more of a threat to US citizens
They wanted to achieve the American Dream rather than share their wealth
Many communist countries had dictators. US citizens believed that Communism threatened democracy and the USA as the ‘Land of the Free’
The development of the Cold War caused a Second Red Scare in the 1940s and 1950s:
Impact of the Red Scare on US society
There were fears that the USSR was infiltrating the US government
In 1947, Truman introduced new security checks to US government jobs
Any association with an un-American organisation resulted in government officials being fired
This happened to hundreds of people
US citizens became hysterical that Communists were everywhere
‘Better dead than Red’ and ‘Reds under the Bed’ were popular slogans in the USA
The US government created The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1938
The committee:
Uncovered Communist threats to the USA
Intimidated witnesses into giving the names of Communists or people who sympathised with Communism
Prosecuted Alger Hiss, a former US State Department official, as a Soviet spy
Who was McCarthy?
Joseph McCarthy was an ex-soldier and Republican representative in the US Senate
McCarthy used rumours and threats to become a powerful anti-Communist figure
Between 1950 and 1954 he undertook a ‘witch hunt’ to uncover communists in the USA, especially celebrities and government officials
This period became known as McCarthyism
Exam Tip
McCarthy is a key figure in the AQA America 1920-1973: Opportunity and Inequality course. You should focus some of your revision on identifying other important people in this course. The exam could ask you about a key person in multiple ways:
You could be given an interpretation about or created by this person. Knowing the key figure could help you analyse why the interpretation has a particular opinion. It will also help you to decide which interpretation you trust more on the focus of the question
You may need to use the key person as evidence for a longer 8- or 12-mark question. This could be to explain in what ways a period was impacted by an event. It could also be to decide and justify which reason is the most important
McCarthy's Actions
The Actions & Impacts of McCarthy
Date | McCarthy’s Action | Impact |
|---|---|---|
February 1950 | McCarthy announced that he had a list of over 200 communists who worked in the US State Department | McCarthy reduced the number of people he accused of being communists from 205 to 81 to 57 to ‘a lot.’ Senator Tydings, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, called McCarthy’s claims ‘a fraud and a hoax.’In the autumn of 1950, Senator Tydings lost an election. He was replaced with a supporter of McCarthy |
1950-1953 | For three years, McCarthy accused scientists, diplomats, writers, actors and members of the Democratic Party of being communists. He never produced evidence to support his accusations. He attacked the character and patriotism of his suspects | McCarthy’s accusations made headlines. The US public saw McCarthy as a national hero. McCarthy’s campaign convinced many members of the public to vote for the Republican candidate Eisenhower in the 1953 presidential election |
1953 | McCarthy became the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Operations | McCarthy had the power to investigate and try suspected communists. Politicians and President Eisenhower were afraid to criticise McCarthy’s actions |
1954 | McCarthy accused 45 army officers of being communists | This was the most serious accusation that McCarthy had made. McCarthy brought the suspects to trial |
Causes of McCarthy's Downfall
The Army-McCarthy hearings (1954) were recorded and shown on television
Millions of people saw the extent of McCarthy’s accusations
The US public saw McCarthy live for the first time
McCarthy’s behaviour towards the suspects was rude and aggressive
This shocked the US public
The US Army charged McCarthy with using his influence to give preferential treatment to his former colleague, Private G. David Schine
McCarthy was acquitted of the charge
The accusation ruined the public’s trust in McCarthy
In December 1954, the Senate voted to censure McCarthy
This marked the point when the US government turned against McCarthy’s actions
McCarthy’s influence declined until he died in 1957
Worked Example
Describe two problems faced by Americans during McCarthyism
[4 marks]
Answers:
One problem people faced during McCarthyism was a lack of democracy (1). Anyone who expressed liberal ideas or supported issues such as civil rights could be accused of being a Communist. They could face being interviewed or prosecuted as a Communist (1).
Another problem of McCarthyism was unemployment (1). Around 9,500 government officials were dismissed and 15,000 resigned out of fear of being fired. Some actors were blacklisted after being accused of being a Communist (1).
Exam Tip
When answering ‘Describe…’ questions, the four marks are given to you for:
Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)
Describe - add some specific own knowledge about the point you have made (1)
To achieve full marks, you must do these steps twice
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