Red Scare Created McCarthyism
Fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear is a chain reaction in the brain that causes stressful stimulus, causing the release of chemicals. This is what makes your heart race, fast heavy breathing, and energized or tense muscles. Fear can be the chain reaction through your own body and through your peers. In the 1950’s, after World War Two, there was the nationwide fear called the Red Scare.
The ‘Red Scare’ is a period of time where there was strong anticommunism in the United States. Senator Joseph McCarthy became the public face of that movement. His intentions fueled fear of Communist subversion to the nation. The “Red Scare” caused America to be in fear of communism, motivating Senator Joseph McCarthy to take advantage of his power. Harry S. Truman was the president during McCarthyism. On March 21, 1947 Truman signed United States Executive Order 9835, sometimes known as the “Loyalty Order” .
This order was developed to establish loyalty for the United States, and root out communist sentiment in the federal government. Truman aimed the opinion of communism on the public. Executive Order 9835 also was the main motivation for the creation of the Attorney General’s List of Subversive Organizations. This became known as McCarthyism. The Loyalty Order was part of the introduction to the rise of Joseph McCarthy.
