The War At Home

1
The War At Home
VS

• The affects of the Cold War on the Home Front

By Colton Keehan and Elisabeth McKenna
2
Thesis

• During the Cold War, the United States government
  made decisions and took actions which were
  undemocratic in nature. The theories and
  decisions made by the government were based
  solely upon propaganda and not actual evidence.
  The governments undemocratic actions did in no
  way fit with the U.S.s argument to fight against
  the communistic Soviet Union and were extremely
  detrimental to all aspects of life for American
  citizens.
• It is clear that the turmoil and anxiety
  inflicted upon the unsuspecting citizens of the
  United States during the 1950s was unnecessary,
  the result of exaggeration, and divisive amongst
  the citizens.

3
Turmoil in the 1950s

• Communism became the center of attention
• Many people feared infiltration of communism
  into the U.S. way of life and government
• Propaganda and yellow journalism swept the
  nation, helping to fuel fear of communism in the
  U.S.
• Black Listing and communistic affiliation
  became central fears

4
Joseph McCarthy

• U.S. Senator for Wisconsin
• Lead major attacks on the American Government and
  its policies
• Highly influential voice during the height of the
  Cold War
• Had a history of lying in order to obtain
  political success
• Used communism threats in the U.S. as a campaign
  issue and to gain power

5
Joseph McCarthys Affect on American Society

• McCarthys allegations were unfounded
• His lies of communism threats caused hundreds of
  people to suffer
• People lived in fear that they would be falsely
  accused of being a communist member
• Fed the fear of communistic infiltration by
  making false accusations about government
  members affiliation with the party

6
House of Un-American Activities Committee

• Organization committed to investigating and
  persecuting potential communists within U.S.
  government
• Formed in August, 1938
• Founders include Martin Dies, Samuel Dickstein,
  J. Hoover, and J. Parnell Thomas
• Goals included putting a halt on Roosevelts
  Second New Deal
• Allegations resulted in Black Listing- a list
  that inhibited the employment of whomever was on
  the list

7
H.U.A.C and American Society

• Dies and Thomas equated the modest social and
  economic reforms of the Roosevelt years with
  un-Americanism
• The Committee spread allegations about communist
  infiltration of organizations that supported
  Roosevelt
• Allegations were spread through New York Times
  Publications
• HUAC gained power through FBI files and threat of
  imprisonment
• Blacklisting- starting in Hollywood- lead to
  imprisonment without substantial evidence
• Power was held due to assumption of seriousness
  of communism taking away capitalism

8
The Rosenbergs

• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a couple accused
  in 1950 by the United States government of
  operating a Soviet spy network.
• Their trial was highly publicized and is one of
  the best known espionage trial of the 1950s
• To this day many people are skeptic of the
  evidence provided against the couple
• At the end of their trial, the Rosenbergs were
  executed.
• The Rosenbergs had two sons

9
The Rosenbergs Effect on the Cold War

• During the Cold War the Soviet Union and the
  Americans were in competition to have the most
  nuclear weapons.
• The Rosenbergs were a Russian American couple
  who were accused of giving vital information
  about nuclear missiles to Soviet Union.
• The trial of the Rosenbergs was one of the most
  controversial trials of the twentieth century.
• Protests raged throughout the trial
• The Couple was a perfect example of the affects
  of accusations made by people such as McCarthy

10
In The End

• People like McCarthy, who lead the fight against
  communistic infiltration through parties such
  as H.U.A.C, affected the lives of hundreds of
  Americans, much like the Rosenbergs.
• The actions taken by such people were virtually
  never founded upon evidence and barely democratic
• The McCarthy Era will forever be a black mark on
  the history of the U.S.

11
Works Cited

• Edward R. Murrow Broadcast Denouncing Joseph
  McCarthy, March 9, 1954. Discovering Collection.
  Thomson Gale. Staples High School Lib., Westport,
  CT. 16 Feb. 2006 lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com/gt.
  
• House Un-American Activities Committee Hearings.
  Photograph. Corbis-Bettmann. Discovering
  Collection. Thomson Gale. Staples High School
  Lib., Westport, CT. 16 Feb. 2006
  lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com/gt.
• HUAC Begins Investigating Suspected Communists,
  1938. Discovering Collection. Thomson Gale.
  Staples High School Lib., Westport, CT. 16 Feb.
  2006 lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com/gt.
• Joseph McCarthy. Photograph. Discovering
  Collection. Thomson Gale. Staples High School
  Lib., Westport, CT. 16 Feb. 2006
  lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com/gt.
• Joseph McCarthy. Discovering Collection.
  Thomson Gale. Staples High School Lib., Westport,
  CT. 15 Feb. 2006 lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com/gt.
  
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Photograph. 1953.
  Keystone/?Getty Images. MAS Ultra - School
  Edition. EBSCO. Staples High School Lib.,
  Westport, CT. 28 Feb. 2006 lthttp//search.epnet.co
  m/gt.
• NEW TRIAL SOUGHT BY 2 ROSENBERGS Atom Spies Say
  a Witness Against Them Had Stolen Uranium From
  Plant . The New York Times 7 June 1953 19. The
  New York Times. ProQuest Information and
  Learning. Staples High School Lib., Westport, CT.
  28 Feb. 2006 lthttp//proquest.umi.com/?logingt.
• Petersen, Jennifer B. Julius and Ethel
  Rosenberg. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO.
  Staples High School Lib., Westport, CT. 28 Feb.
  2006 lthttp//search.epnet.com/gt.