The Cold War at Home

Ch 18 Sec 3

I. Fear of Communist Influence

A. Loyalty Review Board 1. Investigate federal employees. 2. Find out who was disloyal.

B. The House Un-American Activities Committee 1. HUAC made headlines in 1947 when it

began to investigate the movie industry. 2. The “Hollywood Ten” refused to testify

because they felt HUAC was unconstitutional. 3. A “blacklist” was created in which 500

people were condemned and fired for having a supposed Communist background.

II. Spy Cases Stun the Nation

A. Alger Hiss 1. Hiss was accused of typing microfilm of

government documents and giving them to the Soviet Union.

2. Hiss was convicted of perjury and sent to jail.

B. The Rosenbergs 1. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were accused

of giving the Soviet Union information on how to build a nuclear bomb.

2. They pleaded the fifth Ammendment, choosing not to incriminate themselves.

3. They were found guilty and sentenced to death in the electric chair.

III. McCarthy Launches His “Witch Hunt”

A. McCarthy’s Tactics 1. His belief that Communists were overtaking

the government was known as McCarthyism. 2. He claimed to have names of Communists

in the State Department. 3. His downfall came when he accused the

U.S. Army of being Communists and his bullying of witnesses and the Senate condemned him of improper conduct.