22 Questions
What was the list created by the Justice Department comprised of?
Organizations considered totalitarian, fascist, communist or subversive
What was the primary reason behind McCarthyism?
The Red Scare
What event in 1949 contributed to the rise of McCarthyism?
The end of the American atomic monopoly
What was the result of Communist control over China in 1949?
Chiang Kai-shek became the leader of Taiwan
Which journalist was a victim of McCarthyism?
Edward R. Murrow
What was the name of the TV show hosted by Edward R. Murrow?
See It Now
Who did Edward R. Murrow defend against McCarthyism?
Milo Radulovich
What was the message conveyed by Edward R. Murrow in his challenge to McCarthyism?
We will not walk in fear of one another
Who was the Senator from Wisconsin who began the persecution of Americans suspected of Communist sympathy?
Joseph McCarthy
What was the name of the committee of the U.S. Congress that summoned people suspected of Communist sympathy?
House Un-American Activities Committee
What was the result for those who refused to answer questions before the HUAC committee?
They were held in contempt of Congress
What was the term used to describe the refusal to answer questions before the HUAC committee by invoking the 5th Amendment?
Taking the Fifth
What was the period in which the McCarthyism campaign took place?
At the beginning of the Cold War
What was the result of the McCarthyism campaign for those in the entertainment industry?
They were blacklisted from working in the industry
What was the main reason for the cultural repression in the United States in the 1950s?
Anti-Communist hysteria and the desire of the Republican Party to discredit the Roosevelt administration
What was the outcome of the indictment of eleven leaders of the U.S. Communist Party in 1948?
They were put on trial for 9 months, attracting widespread media attention
Who was the primary author of the Code that influenced classical Hollywood cinema?
Father Daniel A. Lord and Martin Quigley
What was the name of the act that the U.S. Communist Party leaders were charged with violating in 1948?
The Smith Act of 1940
What was the impact of the anti-Communist hysteria on the United States?
It held the country in bondage for close to a decade
What was the main theme of the Code that influenced classical Hollywood cinema?
The values of Catholic theology and practice, such as deference to authority and personal responsibility
What was the result of the trial of the eleven leaders of the U.S. Communist Party?
They were convicted of conspiracy to teach the violent overthrow of the U.S. government
What was the title of the book by Thomas Doherty that discussed the Code's influence on classical Hollywood cinema?
Pre-Code Hollywood Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema
Study Notes
McCarthyism and the Red Scare
- The Justice Department created a list of organizations deemed "totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive" or seeking to alter the US government by unconstitutional means.
- The list included organizations such as the Chopin Cultural Center, Cervantes Fraternal Society, and the Committee for the Negro in the Arts.
Events Contributing to the Red Scare
- Czechoslovakia and Berlin blockade of 1948
- End of American atomic monopoly in 1949
- Communist control over China in 1949
- Korean War of 1950-53
- Upsurge of colonial peoples demanding independence (e.g., Indochina and France)
Victims of McCarthyism
- Journalists, including Edward R. Murrow, who defended freedom of thought and challenged McCarthy's campaign
- Milo Radulovich, a weatherman dropped from the Air Force
- Intellectuals, scholars, and scientists
- Trade unionists
- Entertainers, including actors, directors, screenwriters, and musicians
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
- A special committee of the US Congress that summoned people suspected of Communist sympathy
- Refusal to comply with HUAC led to being held "in contempt" of Congress
- Invoking the 5th Amendment right not to bear witness against oneself was seen as an admission of guilt
Cultural Repression in the 1950s
- Stemmed from anti-Communist hysteria and Republican Party efforts to discredit the Roosevelt and Truman administrations
- Events began in 1948 with the indictment of U.S. Communist Party leaders under the Smith Act of 1940
This quiz covers the organizations labeled as 'totalitarian, fascist, communist or subversive' by the Justice Department during the McCarthy era.
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