McCarthy's "Witch Hunt"

Joseph McCarthy was an anti-communist activist who was a republican senator from Wisconsin.  He was rather ineffective, so in January of 1950, he realized he needed a "winning issue" to be reelected in 1952.  He decided to accuse communists of taking over the United State's government.  McCarthy began accusing people of being disloyal without evidence.  This is now known as McCarthyism.  He claimed to have the names of up to 205 communists in the State Department, yet he never even had one.  He even accused the Democratic Party of being guilty for twenty years of allowing communists into the government.  Many Republicans turned a blind eye upon his blatant lies because they thought his accusations would help the Republican Party win the presidential election in 1952.  Fortunately, Margaret Chast Smith led six other senators to speak out against him in attempt to stop his unjustified claims.  In 1954, McCarthy made an accusation against the United State's Army.  Consequently, the Senate began to investigate his claims.  After the investigation, the Senate proved he had improper conduct, and he died three years later as an alcoholic. 

Even though McCarthy made false claims, fear of Communism in the 1950's was real.  For example, in 1953, thirty-nine states passed laws that made it illegal to support violent overthrow of the government.   

-Julia K. and Erika H.