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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: Mc Carthyism

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn detailed facts about McCarthyism, the anti-communist 'witch hunts' of Senator Joseph McCarthy (1950 - 1956) consisting of investigations and persecution of alleged communists in America in which accusations of treason or subversion...
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Handout
Digital History

Digital History: Anti Communism During the Early 1950's

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Handout
Digital History

Digital History: Kefauver Committee

For Students 9th - 10th
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
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Primary
Curated OER

History Matters: "Enemies From Within": Senator Joseph Mc Carthy's Accusations

For Students 9th - 10th
Read a speech and a letter from Joseph McCarthy supporting his contention that there are Communists in the State Department.
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eBook
Digital History

Digital History: Mc Carthy and Mc Carthyism [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Handout
Digital History

Digital History: Alger Hiss

For Students 9th - 10th
Secondary source information on the Trial of Alger Hiss.
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Handout
Digital History

Digital History: Margaret Chase Smith: The Conscience of the Senate

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Unit Plan
Read Works

Read Works: Internal Security Act of 1950

For Teachers 11th - 12th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This ReadWorks passage provides a brief history of the International Security Act of 1950. A paired passage, a passage with related content, and a questions sheet are available to help students build...
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: The Modern Era

For Students 3rd - 8th
For a brief overview of the period after World War II until the present, visit this Library of Congress resource. Learn about the Cold War and the first man to walk on the moon.
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Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Ap Us History: Unit 8: An Age of Confidence and Anxiety

For Students 9th - 10th
This extensive learning module examines the United States' response to the global uncertainty and instability that followed World War II and the ways that marginalized groups challenged discrimination, and the counter-responses to their...
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Website
University of Illinois

University of Illinois: The Legacy of Mc Carthyism

For Students 9th - 10th
An essay addressing the ramifications of false accusations made against academics, politicians, and cultural figures during the McCarthy Era. Read about the consequences not only for the individuals but for society in general.
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Website
Other

Behind the Scenes: The Mc Carran Internal Security Act

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Website
Other

Appleton Public Library: Joseph Mc Carthy

For Students 9th - 10th
Information on the life and work of Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957).
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Mc Carthyism

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the dangers of paranoia when exercised by people of power. The witch-hunting of the McCarthy era made rash and false accusations against supposed Communist sympathizers that affected many lives.
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Website
US Senate

Senate Stories: "Have You No Sense of Decency?"

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the abrupt downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy after the damage he did with his anti-Communist witch hunts.
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Website
Other

Biographies: Harry S. Truman

For Students 9th - 10th
This brief, but comprehensive look at the Truman administration covers Truman's actions from the time he took office upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt to his decision not to run in the election of 1952.
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Handout
Mount Holyoke College

Mount Holyoke College: Mc Carthyism: Was the Threat Real?

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief description of the hunt for spies within the United States prior to McCarthyism.
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Article
US National Archives

Nara: Prologue Magazine: Prelude to Mc Carthyism: The Making of a Blacklist

For Students 9th - 10th
This lengthy article in the Prologue Magazine, a publication from the National Archives, details the operations of the Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations, or AGLOSO, which was used in compiling information based on...
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: Biographical Directory of the u.s. Congress: Mc Carthy, Joseph Raymond

For Students 9th - 10th
Part of the official biographical guide of the U.S. Congress, this page contains a brief biography of Joseph McCarthy and his political career.