Curated OER
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
Students analyze documents, cartoons, speeches and articles about Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against "Un-American" activities. They guide their research with a worksheet and participate in class discussions about their findings.
Curated OER
McCarthyism: The Effects of the Anti-Communism Fear
Students read a flowchart and look at corresponding photos to explore the anti-communist fears in the mid-twentieth century and the impact Senator Joseph McCarthy had on those fears.
Curated OER
History Matters: "Enemies From Within": Senator Joseph Mc Carthy's Accusations
Read a speech and a letter from Joseph McCarthy supporting his contention that there are Communists in the State Department.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Lesson 3: The Rise and Fall of Joseph Mc Carthy
Students will learn about McCarthy's crusade against communism, from his bombshell pronouncements in 1950 to his ultimate censure and disgrace in 1954. Through an examination of documents and political cartoons they will study key points...
Digital History
Digital History: Mc Carthy and Mc Carthyism [Pdf]
Read about one of the truly black eyes in American history when Senator Joseph McCarthy was able to make false accusations against politicians and ordinary citizens alike, claiming they had communist leanings and were enemies of the...
Digital History
Digital History: The Second Red Scare
Senator Joseph McCarthy did not create the national obsession with communist subversion. It had arisen in the late 1930s, years before McCarthy had come to public notice. Angry that they had been barred from the corridors of power for 20...
Digital History
Digital History: Anti Communism During the Early 1950's
In February 1950, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy had charged that the Department of State knowingly harbored Communists. Hearings on McCarthy's accusations were held under the chairmanship of Senator Millard Tydings of Maryland. The...
Digital History
Digital History: Margaret Chase Smith: The Conscience of the Senate
Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress. She was the first woman to enter the Senate without being appointed to the position. During World War II, she was the only civilian woman to go to sea in a Navy...
Digital History
Digital History: Kefauver Committee
In May 1950, at the very moment that Senator Joseph McCarthy was beginning his crusade against communist subversion, the U.S. Senate created a special committee to investigate another "enemy within": organized crim
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.
University of North Carolina
Nc Civic Education Consortium: Joe Mc Carthy and the Red Scare
This very detailed lesson plan incorporates small group activities, whole group activities, projects, debate ideas, and primary sources all related to Joseph McCarthy. Extensive background material is provided along with a bibliography...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Post War Prosperity and Cold War Fears 1945 1960: The Cold War
Examines the causes of the Cold War, America's efforts to oppose the spread of Communism, and the hunt for Communist sympathizers within the United States.
US House of Representatives
History, Art, and Archives: Legislative Interests and Achievements
Women in Congress had an impact on every critical piece of legislation during the Depression through the Cold War. Examine their impact in Congress during these decades in the following summary of legislative achievements.
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Dwight Eisenhower: Domestic Affairs
President Eisenhower tried to follow a middle road in proposing and supporting domestic affairs during his presidency. Read about the policies he put forward. Read also about his dealing with Senator Joseph McCarthy, and his spotty...
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Edward R. Murrow Broadcasting History
NPR takes a look at a biography written about Edward R. Murrow, a distinguished broadcast journalist. Features an interview with the author, excerpts from the book, and audio clips of some of Murrow's most famous broadcasts including the...
Read Works
Read Works: Senator Joseph Mc Carthy's Speech Before the Senate on June 14, 1951
[Free Registration/Login Required] This PDF is an excerpt from Senator Joseph McCarthy's Speech before the Senate on June 14, 1951. It is part of Paired Texts (above the passage) with "Anti - Communism in the 1950s" by Wendy...
Curated OER
History Matters: "National Suicide"
Joseph McCarthy's initial attacks against the State Department and his all-out hunt for Communists in hiding in the government was met by Senator Margaret Chase Smith's Declaration of Conscience advocating for the protection of...
Digital History
Digital History: Trail Gunner Joe
A charismatic demagogue, Joe McCarthy grew up on a Wisconsin farm and attended a one-room schoolhouse. While still a teenager, he established a thriving business as a chicken farmer. He dropped out of school after eighth grade, but...
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.
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
University of Pennsylvania: Senator Joe Mc Carthy
An excerpt from a book on Senator Joseph McCarthy. Includes a description of his life and career and details the impact his actions and ideas had on America in the 1950's.
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania: The Hollywood Blacklist
This site describes what went on in Hollywood during the Red Scare of the 1950s when many actors and directors were asked to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee about possible communist activity in Hollywood.
Other
Amistad Digital Resource: Mc Carthyism
Detailed account of the anti-communist campaign conducted by the House of Un-American Activities and Joseph McCarthy during the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare. The primary targets of such suspicions were...
Other
Behind the Scenes: The Mc Carran Internal Security Act
Read about the origins and impact of the McCarran Internal Security Act which President Harry Truman called "the greatest danger to freedom of speech, press and assembly, since the Alien and Sedition Laws of 1798." Find out how a fear of...