McCarthyism
...g about the period. McCarthyism was a national phenomenon that both preceded the emergence and far outstripped the influence of the flamboyant, publicity-seeking Wisconsin senator who earned the dubious distinction of providing its name. To begin examining its causes and effects, students should first consult the chapter of their textbook that looks at how the Truman administration sought to address Soviet actions abroad. To what extent were American fears exacerbated by the nation’s new role in international affairs? (Do students think McCarthyism would have taken the forms it did if the United States had reverted to an isolationist stance after the war?) What international events suggested the spread of "monolithic" communism, and how did such developments influence popular American attitudes toward the Soviet Union? Though McCarthyism has been assigned to a particular historical period, did it represent a dramatic break with the American past, or can students identify earlier periods in which seemingly "subversive" groups found themselves the objects of an official or a popular animus? Students might consider the attitudes of many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Americans toward Catholics, for example, or toward abolitionists: Both groups were frequently perceived as actively working against the good of the nation. Of course, discussion should also include the specific elements of mid-twentieth-century American society that helped transform generalized anticommunism into virulent McCarthyism, such as conservative and Republican efforts to undo the New Deal, the Truman administration’s attempts to convince Americans of their international responsibilities, and the host of situations in which people used anticommunism to settle local scores. Students should attempt to identify the influence of such related issues in the documents. For example, the collection includes the findings of investigations carried out under the federal loyalty-security program. Do these reports present tangential issues to suggest subversive intent on the part of those who were investigated? What sorts of activities or statements could be presented as damning evidence, and what practical recourse was open to the accused? In the selection "How You Can Fight Communism," does James F. O’Neil, the leader of the American Legion, betray a sense of class antagonism, especially with regard to education? Did support of Joseph McCarthy’s efforts break down along class lines? Students might also consider the interview with Communist Party member Howard Johnson, a black man. What did communi...