CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

MCCARTHY AND MCCARTHYISM

1. Who was Joseph McCarthy?
He was an american senator that hated communist ideals because he considered it a threat for USA and started a hard witchunt against it.

2. What were his politics?
He investigated all people he thought being of the communist party. This was an anti-communist politic.

3. What were the first accusations he made?
In 1950 during a speech he showed a piece of paper with 250 supposed names of communists working in the State Department.

4. Why do you think the American public believed in him?
Because americans knew how the life was in a communist country like the Soviet Union during the Cold War and they didn´t wanted that kind of government in their country. This was why McCarthy´s way of thinking, retiring communist supporters of the state management had so much success.

5. What other people did he go on to accuse? What were the foundations for his accusations?
He accused government employees, trade union activists, Hollywood stars and the army. Sometimes when actor´s or director´s names were given in public their careers were ruined. He accused them all of subversion with very little evidence.

6. How and why did the reaction of the American public change?
When he accused the army people began doubting of him. Also when people was able to hear in public the interrogation methods he used. Here started his decline and he was censured for having abused his power as senator.