Defining Moments in American History: McCarthyism and the Communist Threat

Editor/Author Hillstrom, Kevin
Publication Year: 2011
Publisher: Omnigraphics, Inc.

Single-User Purchase Price: $54.00
Unlimited-User Purchase Price: $81.00
ISBN: 978-1-78402-627-1
Category: History - United States -- History
Image Count: 41
Book Status: Available
Table of Contents

Provides a detailed account of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his anti-Communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s. Also explores the how the McCarthy era shaped the trajectory of American politics and culture for decades to come.

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Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • How to Use This Book
  • Research Topics for McCarthyism and the Communist Threat
  • NARRATIVE OVERVIEW
  • Prologue
  • Chapter One: Early American Fears about the “Red Menace”
  • Chapter Two: HUAC and the Early Cold War
  • Chapter Three: The Rise of Joseph McCarthy
  • Chapter Four: The Impact of McCarthyism on American Life
  • Chapter Five: McCarthy's Stunning Political Collapse
  • Chapter Six: The Legacy of the McCarthy Era
  • BIOGRAPHIES
  • Roy Cohn (1927-1986): Lawyer and Chief Aide to Joseph McCarthy
  • Martin Dies (1900-1972): First Chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee
  • Alger Hiss (1904-1996): State Department Official Accused of Being a Soviet Agent
  • J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972): Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 1924-1972
  • Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957): U.S. Senator and Namesake for the “Age of McCarthyism”
  • Arthur Miller (1915-2005): Playwright and Author of The Crucible
  • Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965): Radio and Television Journalist
  • Joseph Welch (1890-1960): Chief Counsel for the Army during the Army-McCarthy Hearings
  • PRIMARY SOURCES
  • The Smith Act Takes Aim at American Communists
  • Hollywood Studios Issue “The Waldorf Statement”
  • A Communist Screenwriter Defies the House Un-American Activities Committee
  • Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss Testify before HUAC
  • The Speech That Launched McCarthy's Political Rise
  • Margaret Chase Smith's Declaration of Conscience
  • Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Receive Death Sentences for Treason
  • Ronald Reagan Assesses Hollywood's Progress against the Reds
  • Edward R. Murrow Takes on McCarthy
  • The Army-McCarthy Hearings Bring McCarthy Down
  • The Senate Condemns McCarthy
  • Playwright Arthur Miller Recalls the McCarthy Era
  • A Conservative Writer Defends the Legitimacy of Questions about the “al-Qaeda Seven”
  • A Liberal Columnist Condemns the “al-Qaeda Seven” Video as Modern-Day McCarthyism
  • Important People, Places, and Terms
  • Chronology
  • Sources for Further Study
  • Bibliography
  • Photo and Illustration Credits