The Effects of McCarthyism

Paper Summary:

The paper describes the period in American history of intense anti-communism, known as McCarthyism. The paper discusses its effect on the federal government, American film industries and American citizens. The paper shows how McCarthyism changed the lives of thousands of people at the same time that it changed the nation's political culture.

From the Paper:

"Senator Joseph McCarthy was an undistinguished first-term Republican from Wisconsin. In February 1950, he suddenly burst into national fame. He gained the most fame during his speech in Wheeling. In the middle of his speech, he held up a piece of paper that he claimed to have a list of 205 known Communists currently working in the U.S. State Department. No person of comparable importance had ever made such a bold move against the federal government. Senator McCarthy gained even more phenomenal fame when his theories were publicized in American television."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brinkley, Alan. American History: a Survey. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1999. 983-986.
• Buckley, William F., and Brent Bozell. McCarthy and His Enemies: the Record and Its Meaning. Chicago: Henry Regnery Company, 1954. 331-335.
• "McCarthyism." Source Watch. 12 Jan. 2005. 20 Feb. 2007 <http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=McCarthyism>.
• Navasky, Victor. Naming Names. New York: Viking P, 1980. The Social Costs. 20 Feb. 2007 <http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/navasky-social-costs.html>.
• Reeves, Thomas C. McCarthyism. Huntington: Robert E. Krieger Compony, 1978. 99-104.

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