Mccarthyism

• Senator Joseph McCarthy


  Launched an aggressive campaign against suspected communists in the US, marking the second Red Scare
• Joseph McCarthy


  Republican senator known for his anti-communist campaign
• In 1950, McCarthy declared he possessed a list of over 200 "known communists" in the US State Department
• McCarthy's tactics

  • Publicly accusing individuals of communism without evidence
  • Attacking their character
  • Questioning their loyalty
• Though controversial, McCarthy's tactics gained him power and popularity
• McCarthy's tactics led critics to risk being labeled as communists
• Even President Dwight D Eisenhower refrained from openly criticizing McCarthy
• McCarthyism

  Term synonymous with exaggerated accusations of communist affiliations
• McCarthy accused the US army of being "soft" on communism
• Televised hearings in 1954


  1. Exposed McCarthy's allegations to millions

  2. Resulted in public outcry

  3. Led to McCarthy being censured by the Senate

  4. Resulted in McCarthy's declining influence until his death in 1957