McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the politically motivated practice of
making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard
for evidence. The term specifically describes activities associated with the
period in the United States known as the Second
Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and
characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize
the anti-communist pursuits of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy,
"McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses
of similar efforts.
Joseph McCarthy's
involvement with the ongoing cultural phenomenon that would bear his name began
with a speech he made on Lincoln Day, February 9, 1950, to the Republican Women's
Club of Wheeling, West Virginia. He produced a piece of paper which he claimed
contained a list of known Communists working for the State Department. McCarthy
is usually quoted as saying: "I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list
of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being
members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and
shaping policy in the State Department." This
speech resulted in a flood of press attention to McCarthy and established the
path that made him one of the most recognized politicians in the United States.
During the post–World War II era of McCarthyism, many
thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist
sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and
questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and
agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees,
those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often
given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of
threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was
often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction
of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about
through trial verdicts later overturned, laws
that would be declared unconstitutional, dismissals
for reasons later declared illegal, or
extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.
The most famous examples of McCarthyism include the
speeches, investigations, and hearings of Senator McCarthy himself; the Hollywood blacklist, associated with
hearings conducted by the House
Committee on Un-American Activities; and the various anti-communist activities
of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) under
Director J. Edgar Hoover.
McCarthyism was a widespread social and cultural phenomenon that affected all
levels of society and was the source of a great deal of debate and conflict in
the United States.
It is difficult to estimate the number of victims of
McCarthyism. The number imprisoned is in the hundreds, and some ten or twelve
thousand lost their jobs. In many
cases, simply being subpoenaed by HUAC or one of the other committees was
sufficient cause to be fired. Many
of those who were imprisoned, lost their jobs or were questioned by committees
did in fact have a past or present connection of some kind with the Communist
Party. But for the vast majority, both the potential for them to do harm to the
nation and the nature of their communist affiliation were tenuous. Suspected homosexuality was also a common cause for being
targeted by McCarthyism. The hunt for "sexual perverts", who were
presumed to be subversive by nature, resulted in thousands being harassed and
denied employment.
In the film
industry, over 300 actors, authors and directors were denied work in the U.S.
through the unofficial Hollywood
blacklist. Blacklists were at work throughout the entertainment industry, in
universities and schools at all levels, in the legal profession, and in many
other fields. A port security program initiated by the Coast Guard shortly
after the start of the Korean War required a review of every maritime
worker who loaded or worked aboard any American ship, regardless of cargo or
destination. As with other loyalty-security reviews of McCarthyism, the
identities of any accusers and even the nature of any accusations were
typically kept secret from the accused. Nearly 3,000 seamen and longshoremen
lost their jobs due to this program alone.
A few of the more famous people who were blacklisted or
suffered some other persecution during McCarthyism are: Arthur Miller, Leonard
Bernstein, Charlie Chaplin, Aaron Copland, W.E.B. DuBois, Lillian Hellman,
Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Pete Seeger.
Herblock (Herbert Block) and
McCarthyism
"You
mean I'm supposed to stand on that?"
In February 1950, Senator Joseph
McCarthy captured headlines by his claims that he held in his hand, a list of
names of some 205 communists in the State Department which he did not reveal.
Many members of Congress, influenced by his success, began to support his
heavy-handed and abusive tactics for political purposes. Here conservative
Republican senators, Kenneth S. Wherry, Robert A. Taft, and Styles Bridges and
Republican National Chairman Guy Gabrielson push a reluctant GOP elephant to
mount the unsavory platform. This was
the first use of the word "McCarthyism."
"It's okay – We're hunting Communists"
"Fire!"
"You
read books, eh?"
The Hollywood Blacklist:
