McCarthyism

McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion or treason without prayer regard to evidence. Americans feared the fact that we're losing the cold war and that communists had infiltrated the government. McCarthy states he has a list of 205 communists in the State Department. This turns into a "witch hunt" also known as the crucible based on loose evidence and bullying tactics.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

The House Un-American Activities Committee also known as the HUAC was McCarthy's congressional committee. This committee held public hearings on communist subversion. Also the FBI was used to wire tap phones and infiltrate suspected groups. With all of their efforts, it led to black listings and it ruined reputations.

The fuel for McCarthyism was in part from the Rosenberg Case. In 1950, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were charged with giving atomic secrets to the Soviets during World War II. They were convicted of espionage and they were sentenced to death. Also Morton Sobell was charged, but was only sentenced to prison. The Rosenbergs were executed in 1953.

In 1954, McCarthy charged that the army had communists and many of them. Televised investigations were held. Millions of Americans, for the first time saw McCarthy's bullying tactics. His support he had from the public faded rapidly because of this. In December 1954 the Senate censured him for "conduct unbecoming a member". The red scare ended with McCarthy's fall, and as the Cold War continued to drag on, anticommunist attitudes still lingered.