HIST2475 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Margaret Chase Smith, Mccarthyism
Document Summary
Mccarthy"s stint on the national stage only lasted 4 years (1950-54) Many victims of the midcentury red scare were actually communist or worked with communists they were not innocent. Communists had no rights rationale of the time. Mccarthy accuses the state department of harboring communists (205) When mccarthy spoke to the senate later he makes the same claim but now. Wouldn"t show anyone the list only saying the state department harbored 87 communists. Mccarthy liked to portray himself as a man"s man who is tough. Mccarthy even attacked general george c. marshall who helped win wwii. Mccarthy said he would stand by his belief that owen lattimore was the head communist agent. Mccarthy was the most influential person in america by 1950 got a lot of publicity although not always the best publicity. In february of 1950 truman tried to stop mccarthy. People tend to blame the press for rising mccarthy to the point that he was at.
