Download AmCu-Chapter 26 Section 3.pptx

4/10/12 Chapter 26.Section 3
The Cold War and
American Society
Objectives:
1.  Describe the Red Scare
2.  Discuss how American Society
reflected fears of the Nuclear Age
I.  A New Red Scare
*Began in September 1945. Clerk working at Soviet
Embassy in Ottawa defected to the Canadian gov’t.
Revealed plans that Soviet gov’t was attempting to
infiltrate organizations and gov’ts in US and Canada.
Why would Soviets want to infiltrate organizations and
governments?
*Fear of Communist infiltrations
*Fear spread via rumors and accusations
*Americans began to fear that the Soviets
would try to overthrow the American
government using subversive tactics.*
1 4/10/12 I.  A New Red Scare
A. Loyalty Review Program
1. To screen all federal
employees.
a. Between 1947 – 1951
over 6 million
screened!
b. Employees had to
report:
1. Books?
2. Group affiliations?
3. Where traveling?
4. Why traveling?
5. Movies?
6. Friends?
2. As a result of the Loyalty Review Program
a. 14,000 employees investigated by FBI
b. 2,000 quit their jobs
c. 212 were fired
d. No one jailed and no evidence ever found
during the LRP.*
B. House Un-American Committee (HUAC)
1. Formed 1938 to investigate Communist and
Fascist Activity in US.
2. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover wanted HUAC to
expose Communists and sympathizers.
3. FBI sent agents to infiltrate suspect groups.*
4. FBI wiretapped thousands of phones***
2 4/10/12 3 4/10/12 C. The Rosenbergs
1. Julius and Ethel
Rosenberg
2. Accused of
selling atomic
bomb secrets.
3. NY Couple and
members of
Communist party
4. Charged w.
heading Spy
Ring
5. Found guilty,
executed in ‘53.
D. The Red Scare Spreads
1. Nation went on communist witch hunt
2. Efforts to root out communists
3. Employees required to take loyalty
oaths
4. Catholic groups became strongly anticommunist.
5. “Under God” added to Pledge of
Allegiance in 1954*
6. “In God We Trust” became official US
motto in 1956.
4 4/10/12 II. “A Conspiracy So Immense”
1. The Red Scare Begins:
a. China falls to Communism
b. SU tests 1st atomic bomb
c. Americans think US losing
Cold War.
2. Senator Joseph McCarthy
a. Using scare tactics to win
election.
b. Claims to have list of 205
Red gov’t employees.
c. Accuses Army of being
infiltrated by spies.
d. Censored by Senate,
dead in ’57
5 4/10/12 III. Life During the Cold War
*Fear of Communism
*Fear of Nuclear Attack
A. Facing the Bomb
1. SU testing weapons
A bomb ’49
H Bomb ’53
2. Americans prep for
nuclear attack
a. Bomb shelters
b. Fallout shelters
c. Duck and cover drills
d. Survival kits*
e. Wanted strong
leader
6 4/10/12 7 4/10/12 B. Pop Culture
1. Movies/TV shows/Books
a. I was a Communist for the FBI
b. Walk East on Beacon
c. I led Three Lives
2. Time of Contract
a. Post-War Prosperity
b. Economic optimism flourished
c. McCarthyism
d. Red-hunts
(witch hunts for Communists)
Homework:
P. 796 1, 2, 5, & 8.
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