5. McCarthyism
McCarthyism, also known as the Second Red Scare, was rampant in the 1950s. It technically lasted from 1947 to 1956 and is now considered a form of political oppression. In 1947, President Truman passed an executive order that all federal employees had to be screened for “loyalty.” If they were found disloyal they were often thought to be subversive or members of the Communist Party.
This Executive Order opened doors to broader attacks on character and patriotism, and during the era, thousands of people were accused of being Communists. The time period is named for Senator Joseph McCarthy as he often conducted hearings himself.
Notable hearings of the time include the Hollywood blacklist, the House Un-American Activities Committee, and numerous investigations into members of the FBI. Several factors helped McCarthyism get a boost in the 1950s. Many conservatives were unhappy with Roosevelt’s New Deal and felt that it included socialist-leaning policies. Soviet espionage activity was at an all-time high, and when McCarthy himself produced a list of what he called “known Communists” the wheels were set in motion.
McCarthyism began to fall as American sentiment began to change. When John Henry Faulk, a popular comedic radio host, was fired by CBS, he fought back and won. The liberal-leaning Supreme Court at the time was also consistently ruling against McCarthyism and helped overturn the convictions of fourteen communists. Nonetheless, McCarthyism is ingrained in American popular culture and the term is often bandied about in reference to government whistleblowers of the present day.