McCarthyism In The 1950s

In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin realized that he needed a winning issue in order a remain a Senator after the 1952 election. During his first three years in office, he had acquired the reputation of an ineffective legislator and had slim chances of re-election. So he began a campaign to expose suspected Communists within the government. During the next few years, he claimed to have the names of up to 205 Communists inside the State Department. However, when pressed, he never actually revealed a single name. He made sure to accuse his suspects only in the Senate, where he was legally immune from being sued for slander. But he finally met his downfall in 1954 when he accused the United States Army, which resulted in a nationally televised Senate investigation. When Americans saw the way McCarthy bullied his witnesses, he lost public support. The Senate condemned him for improper conduct and the Wisconsin Senator faded into obscurity. Three years later, he died after a bout of alcoholism. But his influence remained strong. 39 states had passed laws making it illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the government, while the American public was consumed by an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. People were forced to swear that they were not Communists before being able to participate in any public event. Luckily, these so called McCarthyism laws were later pronounced illegal, as they violated First Amendment rights.

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