Anti-Communism

A popular and bipartisan political movement of the time, anti-Communism is generally defined as being opposed the Soviet Union and its brand of Communism. It often carried more than a whiff of paranoia.

Army-McCarthy Hearings

Senator Joseph McCarthy, Communist-hunter and famous paranoiac, decided to take on the Army and ended up eventually causing his own downfall. This guide is about a small piece of the Army-McCarthy Hearings—arguably the most important part, and definitely the most famous, since this is when McCarthy himself crashed and burned.

Cold War

After World War II, the United States (democratic, free) and the Soviet Union (a Communist totalitarian state) were the only two major powers left standing, and pretty soon both sides had nuclear weapons. This meant that any direct, armed conflict would result in what was adorably called "mutually-assured destruction."

This deterred a "hot" war, but the political differences between the nations assured that—you guessed it—"cold" war would continue via other means: spies, proxy wars between countries allied with us or them, and tech competition, to name a few. This is why people were afraid of Communist infiltration. Communism was a threat to our democratic freedoms and global influence, and some politicians seemed to see a Communist under every bed. The Cold War Era lasted from the end of WWII until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Communist

Short version: someone who adheres to the principles of Communism, an economic philosophy built around the idea that everyone contributes to their abilities and everyone gets what they need (or at least what the state thinks they need). It's the opposite of capitalism; here, the state controls the economy and owns the businesses. The Soviet brand of Communism morphed under Josef Stalin into a brutal totalitarian government that suppressed (or murdered) any political dissidents.

The term "Communist" gradually turned into a catch-all insult for anyone that leaned even slightly to the left politically. The Soviets were known to be an expansionist power, so fears that they'd want to infiltrate and eventually control the U.S. weren't all that irrational.

Communist Party

A political party that did and does exist. They're pretty small, but you can find their candidates running for some offices in the U.S. The American brand of communism sees itself as progressive and civil liberties-oriented. Unlike the Stalin-era bunch, they're not interested in shipping anyone off to gulags in northern Minnesota.

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Formed in 1938, HUAC's job was ferreting out the Communists in the government, entertainment industry, and—well, just about everywhere. Though McCarthy was all for it, he was in the Senate, not the House of Representatives. Wait, isn't persecuting someone for their political beliefs is one of the most un-American things you can do?

McCarthyism

Named for Joseph McCarthy, not Jenny McCarthy as you totally thought for five seconds, "McCarthyism" means reckless, cruel, and unsubstantiated attacks on political opponents. It's usually served with a side order of suspicion about their patriotism or personal character.

National Lawyers Guild

This is the specific allegedly Communist front that McCarthy accused Fred Fisher, the young lawyer in Welch's firm, of belonging to. This organization still exists, and although admittedly left wing, is not Communist. They're a bunch of patriotic, First-Amendment-loving progressive attorneys. They're way too busy to overthrow the government.

Pinko

A generalized slur for anyone left wing. The logic goes that if Communists are Reds (because of the red Soviet flag), then someone a little red is pink.

Red-Baiting

A right-wing pastime in which a group is accused of being radically left-wing such as communist, socialist, or anarchist. There's generally little evidence, and there's even less understanding of what any of these words actually mean.

Red Scare

There were two major red scares in American history, and the one in the '50s was the second. In both cases, there was a rising tide of fear and paranoia about Communism, the Soviet Union, and supposed agents of both operating in the country. At least it inspired some awesome posters.

Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

McCarthy's Senate subcommittee, which he used to investigate suspected Communists within the government.

Wheeling Speech

On February 9, 1950, McCarthy gave what was supposed to be an unremarkable speech to the Republican Women's Club in Wheeling, Virginia. In it, he held a piece of paper in his hand and claimed it had the names of a bunch of Communists in the State Department. This speech was what rocketed him to fame.

Witch Hunt

Very few witch hunts go after real witches. Most have witch-equivalents, which is any group with unpopular views or beliefs. Communists and gays in 1950s America, for example, or Jews in 1930s Germany, or literal witches in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. Witch hunts usually substitute insinuation for evidence and revenge for justice.