Fighting the Cold War at Home:

 

Americans that feared communism were willing to violate people’s rights in order to root out communists in the 50’s:

 

House Un-American Activities Committee:

     formed in 1938 to investigate communist

           activity

     probed movie industry in 40’s and 50’s

           and created blacklists

     J. Edgar Hoover (FBI director) helped

           groups like HUAC until the 70’s

 

Smith Act 1940:

     made it illegal for anyone to advocate the

           overthrow any govt. or affiliating with

           groups that did so

     1957 case Yates v. US stated that this act

           applied to those who teach direct

           action, not to those that advocate the

           principle

 

 

 

Loyalty Review Board:

     created in 1947 to conduct security

           checks of government employees

     anyone that had doubtful security was

           dismissed

 

Alger Hiss Case:

     Hiss backed the New Deal and was an

           aide to FDR

     1948 he was accused of being a

           communist spy in the 30’s

     Richard Nixon led the Congressional

           investigation and ultimately convicted

           Hiss on charges of perjury

 

McCarthyism:

     1950 McCarthy claimed he had a list of

           State Dept employees that were

           known communists

     televised hearings were held as McCarthy

           accused countless people of being

           communist

     he was censured by the senate after he

           attacked the US Army

 

Rosenburg Case: charged with giving atomic

     secrets to Soviets, they were executed in

     1953

 

McCarran Internal Security Act: limited the

     actions of anyone the government felt

     was a security threat

 

McCarran-Walter Immigration Act 1952:

     restricted immigration of people from

     communist countries