America has not yet emerged from conflicts over what it means to be a “true American.” Consequently, historical assessments of the Cold War and its ramifications in American culture vary widely. Internal and External Conflict During the Cold War, the debate about what it meant to be a true American expressed tensions that had been[…]
This witch-hunt harmed even more people than did the Red Scare, often trying to throw people under both buses. Introduction The lavender scare refers to a witch hunt and the mass firings of homosexual people in the 1950s from the United States government. It contributed to and paralleled the anti-communist campaign known as McCarthyism and the Second[…]
“Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist party?” Introduction In the 1950s, thousands of Americans who toiled in the government, served in the army, worked in the movie industry, or came from various walks of life had to answer the above question before a congressional panel. Senator Joseph McCarthy[…]
Each one immediately followed wars – World War I and II. Introduction A “Red Scare” is promotion of widespread fear by a society or state about a potential rise of communism, anarchism, or radical leftism. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States with this[…]
An embarrassing end to a career and ironic end to a life. By Gina K. Logue Roy Marcus Cohn (1927–1986) is best known for his work as the chief counsel to Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the Wisconsin Republican whose interrogations of alleged communists during the cold war “red scare” contributed to a chilling effect on freedom[…]
“Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist party?” Introduction In the 1950s, thousands of Americans who toiled in the government, served in the army, worked in the movie industry, or came from various walks of life had to answer that question before a congressional panel. Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to[…]