CONTENT STATEMENT
The Second Red Scare and McCarthyism reflected Cold War fears in American society.
CONTENT ELABORATION
The actions of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe and the spread of communism in Asia caused a Second Red Scare. These developments sparked fears among many Americans and challenged civil liberties. The Second Red Scare focused attention on the media, labor unions, universities, and the military as targets of communist subversion.
Fears of subversion and charges of communist infiltration of the U.S. government led to the following actions:
- McCarthyism;
- investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC); and
- blacklisting of suspected communists.
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
Explain how the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism reflected Cold War fears in American society.