Curated OER
History Matters: "The World Was at Stake"
The House Un-American Activities Committee, a Congressional committee, sought to find Communist activity in the film industry. Read the transcript from hearings questioning Jack Warner, head of Warner Brothers film company, Louis B....
Other
Cpsu: J. Edgar Hoover Huac Testimony
Read the testimony of J. Edgar Hoover before the House Un-American Activities Committee where he explains the destructive nature of Communists in the United States.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: Anti Communism in the 1950s
[Free Registration/Login Required] An essay tracing the anti-Communist hysteria beginning in earnest at the end of World War II that resulted in Truman's federal Loyalty Security program and ending with McCarthyism in the 1950s.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Becoming Visible: Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller is presented in this biography for his plays revolving around post-World War II America, paying particular attention to the middle class and effects of Communism. See "Arthur Miller Activities" for related materials.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Huac and Hollywood
This video and support materials detail the Hollywood blacklist and House Un-American Activities Committee, chronicling the fear of Communism and resulting blacklist based on political ideology. The video is from the American Masters...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Huac: Backlash and Implications
These videos and support materials explore the intense division experienced by those who testified before and blacklisted by HUAC during the Cold War, focusing on the testimony of Elia Kazan. The videos are from American Masters None...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: American Masters Collection: Arthur Miller
This is a collection of three video lessons about Arthur Miller and his play "The Crucible." Teaching materials including handouts and discussion questions are included.
George Mason University
Blacklisting Hollywood's Communists: A Qualified Defense
This site from George Mason University describes the blacklisting of Hollywood communists during the Red Scare.
Digital History
Digital History: The Strange Case of Alger Hiss [Pdf]
This site is from a unit that covers the period from the Second World War up to the Cold War. It looks at the case of Alger Hiss who was accused in 1948 of belonging to the Communist Party, imprisoned, and who denied the association his...
George Washington University
Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project: House Un American Activities Committee
A description of the genesis of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the bullying inquisition of those the committee accused of having Communist leanings.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945 1954
In this Curriculum Unit, students will consider "Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954: Witch Hunt or Red Menace?" in 3 Lessons. The unit also includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
University of Pennsylvania
The American 50s: Mc Carran Act or Internal Security Act of 1950
Although brief, this article explains the McCarran Act and how it intertwined with the House Un-American Activities Committee in its anti-Communist hysteria.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: Alger Hiss Trials (1949 50)
A very nice resource on Alger Hiss and his trial for perjury in 1949. Excerpts are provided from the HUAC hearings, the trial itself and information on the role of Richard Nixon is given.
PBS
The Sixties: House Un American Activities Committee
The House Un-American Activities Committee gained noteriety in the 1950s with Joseph McCarthy and his witch hunts. The committee was still in existence in the early 1960s. Read this brief article to see what it was investigating then.
PBS
Nova Online: Secrets, Lies, and Atomic Spies: Alger Hiss
Read about the case against Alger Hiss, who was accused of spying for the Soviet Union. Investigation was done by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
PBS
Pbs News Hour: Hollywood Blacklisting
Provides a written transcript or a Real Audio version of the interview of two blacklisted artists.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: Civil Liberties in Wartime
This website contains an interactive timeline about the history of civil liberties at wartime.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Fbi Stories: A Byte Out of History: The Alger Hiss Story
An account from the FBI about the Alger Hiss case in which he was convicted of perjury after the accusation of his being a Soviet agent.
Other
A Different Look at the 1947 Huac Hearings
This article details the events surrounding the 1947 HUAC hearings.
Black Past
Black Past: Civil Rights Congress (1946 1956)
This encyclopedia entry talks about the Civil Rights Congress, a group that gave legal defense for blacks, but was hampered by its support of the Communist Party during the Cold War.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Red Scare America
Describes the events that took place during the McCarthy Era and actions of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ordinary Americans feared being identified as a Communist sympathizer and libraries removed books from their shelves...
CNN
Cnn: The Reagan Years: The Making of a President
Part of a cnn.com in-depth special "The Reagan Years", this site traces the events of Reagan's early life. From his job as a young sports commentator to his fame as a Hollywood actor that would eventually lead him into his first elected...
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Cold War Events (1948 1955)
This article contains a summary and definition of the main Cold War events from 1948 - 1955.