McCarthyism

Ihila Lesnikova Jordan Jack Taylor Amelia French


 * McCarthyism**: a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy from around 1950 to 1954. Many of the accused were blacklisted and/or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong the the Communist Party.


 * If someone is practicing "McCarthyism"**: any similar practice that endorses the use of unfair allegations and investigations.


 * McCarthyism**: Public accusation of disloyalty, unsupported by proof.


 * Senator Joseph McCarthy:** Senator Joe McCarthy's career was full of lies from the start. The worst part was that everyone believed him for a while. McCarthy lied to become senator and made up stories about his opponent, Wisconsin senator La Follette. He also lied about being a big war hero. He needed lots of attention, and decided to choose communism.

McCarthy created an anti-communist hysteria. He caused a red scare in the United States and went on a witch-hunt, rounding up suspected communists. At one of his speeches, he waved a list of 205 communists in U.S. State Department. McCarthy made a list of 418 American authors who he said had disloyal ideas. He even went as far as accusing those in the U.S. Army. Joe McCarthy was an exciting and persuading speaker; the master of publicity. His witch-hunt ruined the lives of innocent people. Anyone accused of any communist activity lost their jobs, friends, and homes. People were afraid to speak out, and nobody wanted to seem soft on communism. How was America free if people weren't free to have communist beliefs? Finally Americans were tired of McCarthy and his lies. The only proof he ever produced to be a communist was an army dentist. Maine's Republican senator Margret Chase Smith spoke out in June 1950 with a speech called "Deceleration of Consience" which attacked McCarthy as going against the United States Constitution. T.V newsman Murrow gave a real, clear picture of him. Flanders asked the Senate to condemn McCarthy, and he was censured for outrageous behavior, but remained in the Senate.

For an extended biography of Joseph McCarthy: []

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