The cold war in America

What were the charges against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?

A scientist named Klaus Fuchs was charged with sending atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The investigation led to the arrest of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in 1950. The Rosenbergs were charged with conspiring to pass secret information about nuclear science to Soviet agents.

What government official was eventually convicted of perjury for lying about being a communist agent?

Alger Hiss Hiss had a long career in the U.S. government; he had been involved in New Deal agencies and had helped to organize the United Nations. His role as a communist agent came as a shock.

Joseph R. McCarthy went after the United States Army in televised hearings, claiming that it was full of communists. What did these hearings lead to?

By the time the hearings ended in mid-June, the senator had lost many of his strongest supporters. The Senate formally censured, or condemned, him for his reckless accusations. Although McCarthy continued to serve in the Senate, he had lost virtually all of his power and influence.

Why did the case against Alger Hiss increase fears of communist influence in the U.S. government?

Hiss was a well-respected government official. Hiss had worked in several important New Deal agencies and helped to organize the United Nations. Whittaker Chambers testified before HUAC about his communist past and named Hiss as one of his contacts. Hiss was tried for perjury. The first trial ended in a hung jury. At his second trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.

Why did the Rosenberg case attract nationwide attention and controversy?

It summed up the greatest fears of many Americans. Some Americans feared that fellow citizens might be passing atomic secrets to the Soviets. Others were more concerned that innocent citizens might be persecuted because of their ethnic origin or simply for holding unpopular beliefs.

Which of the following is one reason that the Rosenberg case attracted nationwide attention and controversy?

Many believed that their conviction was influenced by anti-Semitism. The trial of the Rosenbergs generated intense controversy in America and around the world. The case against them was based largely on the word of one confessed spy. The Rosenbergs claimed that they were being persecuted for being Jewish. In the end, both were found guilty and sentenced to death.

What event led to the Senate hearings on Joseph McCarthy's accusations?

McCarthy claimed that the U.S. Army was full of communists. Army leaders responded that McCarthy's attacks were personally motivated, and the Senate decided to hold televised hearings to sort out the allegations.

What were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg charged, convicted, and executed for?

The Rosenbergs were executed after they were found guilty of spying for the Soviet Union.;passing secrets about nuclear science to the Soviets

Why did the 1940 Smith Act cripple the Communist Party in the United States?

The Smith Act made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

What was the effect of the blacklist?

The blacklist shattered the careers of the entertainment figures who were on it. Movie executives circulated a blacklist of entertainment figures who should not be hired because of their suspected communist ties. The careers of those on the list were shattered.

What caused the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s?

The fear that communists both outside and inside America were working to destroy American life created a reaction known as a Red Scare. The 1917 Russian Revolution had led to a similar Red Scare in 1919 and 1920. However, the Red Scare that followed World War II lasted far longer than the earlier Red Scare.

What was the last straw for Senator Joseph McCarthy in the eyes of the American public?

The televised hearings put McCarthy's bullying tactics on display for the country. For the first time, the public saw McCarthy badger witnesses, twist the truth, and snicker at the suffering of others. It was an upsetting sight for many Americans. By the time the hearings ended, the senator had lost many of his strongest supporters.

How did the Hollywood Ten respond to questions posed by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)?

They asserted their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. The best-known HUAC hearings targeted people in the movie industry who were, or had been, communists. A group of writers, directors, and producers known as the Hollywood Ten refused to answer questions, asserting their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

What did the President and Congress do to search for American communists?

They created the Federal Employee Loyalty Program. This program was used to screen federal employees for disloyalty. The House of Representatives used its Un-American Activities Committee to investigate communist activities in the United States.

Who was Alger Hiss?

a U.S. government employee accused of spying for the Soviet Union Hiss was a long-time public servant accused of spying and finally convicted of perjury.

How did Joseph R. McCarthy rise to power as a politician?

by making irresponsible allegations McCarthy put forward his own brand of anticommunism. McCarthyism became a catchword for extreme, reckless charges. Between 1950 and 1954, he was perhaps the most powerful politician in the United States. Merely being accused by McCarthy caused people to lose their jobs and destroyed their reputations.

What is McCarthyism?

extreme, reckless charges of disloyalty Senator Joseph McCarthy put forward his own brand of anticommunism—so much so that the term McCarthyism became a catchword for extreme, reckless charges.