Exploring the Key Features of McCarthyism

Exploring the Key Features of McCarthyism

The term McCarthyism is named after the US Senator, Joseph McCarthy,

the founder of this theory. McCarthyism refers to the ‘witch hunt’,

the investigation and persecution of ‘communist sympathizers’, these

are people who believed in or supported communism in the United

States. Also the term is descriptive of the outbreak of panic and

worry about communism that swamped American society at the time, also

known as the ‘Red Scare’.

American citizens, and politicians, followed McCarthyism because at

the time, there was far-fetched hysteria over communist and fear of

communist invasion of their country. Anything that was the slightest

bit left or radical or even new could be seen as communistic. The US

was fighting the war on someone else’s territory over seas, and did

not want the communists to spread to America. McCarthyism was invented

at the peak of hysteria and accepted as the only possible way to

prevent communism in America for many years. The Cold War had created

a fear that democracy was in danger, that the American people must

take drastic measures to ensure their on-going way of life

The Alien Registration Act had been introduced into the United States

and everyone who had the slightest chance of being linked to communist

sympathies was required to register, or face being ‘Blacklisted’. it

was very important if you were asked the question “do you support

communism?” back then, as it could affect your future, career and

personal lifestyle. The black list did extensively affect people with

influential power. This included writers, directors, actors and

actresses who pressured film studios to produce movies promoting the

positive ideas of the Communist Party. The perseverance upon normality

and traditionalism was also portrayed metaphorically in numerous

Sci-Fi movies (such as ’The Blob’) of the time which illustrated

racism, the hatred or fear of strangers or foreigners.

Other forms of propaganda were used apart from sci-fi films, such as

magazines and posters, some containing comments such as “How

Communists Get That Way” and “Communists Are After Your Child.