CHAPTER 19 SECTION 4

COLD WAR AT HOME

COLD WAR FEARSJuly 1947 Congress replaces War Department with Department of Defense– under command of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Created National Security Council to advise President

Created CIA—Central Intelligence Agency– to gather strategic military and political information overseas

ANOTHER RED SCARE

Although Truman opposed communism– some Republicans accused him of allowing communists in government

Truman established Loyalty Review Board in 1947– by 1951 more than 20,000 federal workers interviewed

2,000 resigned

300 fired as “security risks

RED SCARE CONTINUED

House Un-American Activities Committee established in 1938– originally to investigate fascists

HUAC responded to charges that Hollywood was full of communist and sympathizers

Hollywood Ten– went to jail rather than answer questions– they were blacklisted

RED SCAREWomen’s International League for Peace and Freedom– stated HUAC hearings violated democratic rights of Americans

Federal Bureau of Investigation– investigated league and scared away potential members

Similar effects on labor unions and liberal political groups

SEARCH FOR SPIESIn 1948 Whitaker Chambers– former member of Communist party—accuses Alger Hiss of being a spy

Hiss was a lawyer at the State Department– allegedly passed documents to Chambers

Hiss denies charges but Chambers produces microfilm copies

1950 Hiss convicted of perjury and sentenced to 5 years in jail

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

Convicted of providing Soviets with atomic energy secrets during WWII

Both executed in June 1953

SEARCH FOR SPIESInternal Security Act passed in 1950

Required Communist Party members to register with federal government

Placed strict controls on immigration

“McCARTHYISM”As Korean War intensified, fear of communists intensified

Joseph McCarthy– Senator from Wisconsin fueled suspicions that spies and sympathizers were everywhere

RISE OF McCARTHY1950 Claimed he had list of known communists working at State Department– never produced list

Chairman of Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations– waged war against alleged sympathizers in federal government

1950 Margaret Chase Smith and others issued Declaration of Conscience

Condemned people who had turned Senate into “forum of hate and character assassination

McCARTHY’S DOWNFALL

Even President Truman refused to criticize McCarthy

1954 turned to charges that communists infiltrated U.S. Army

Television filmed Army-McCarthy hearings

McCarthy bullied and interrupted defendants in sharp contrast to Joseph Welch Chief Counsel for Army

After 35 days of testimony no evidence to support claims

Senate condemns McCarthy for conduct unbecoming a Senator

NUCLEAR ANXIETYCold War anxieties forced United States and Soviet Union to develop more powerful weapons

1950 U.S. began working on hydrogen bomb (H-Bomb)– 1000 times more powerful than Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Tested H-Bomb on a small pacific Island in 1952– destroyed it

9 months later Soviets tested their own H-Bomb

RELIGION AND NUCLEAR WAR

Many Americans turned to religion to calm their fears of war

Billy Graham—evangelist started drawing large audiences in 50s

Church construction rose from $76 million in 1946 to $868 million in 1957

Reflecting religious zeal Congress adds phrase “One Nation, Under God” to Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” to U.S. Coins

CALMING PUBLIC FEARS

1951 Federal Civil Defense Administration formed

Began educating public on what to do in case of nuclear attack

Conducted “Duck and Cover Drills” in schools

NUCLEAR FALLOUTRadioactive fallout– by-product of nuclear explosions

Tests spewed tons of radioactive material into atmosphere

Crew of Japanese fishing boat 85 miles away developed radiation sickness

People realized no one was safe in a nuclear attack

FALLOUT SHELTERSSome Americans began digging fallout shelters

Companies sold concrete and steel igloos for $1500

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS

1957 Hearings on dangers of fallout– defense officials claimed testing was safe– scientists disagree

Radiation released presented danger to environment and increased risk of cancer in humans

SANE– Committee for Sane Nuclear Policy led by Benjamin Spock– end nuclear testing

SPACE PROGRAMSSputnik– Soviet satellite weighing 200 pounds launched into orbit in October 1957

Bigger than 3.5 pound device U.S. was developing

Sputnik II– launched in November– had a dog aboard– satellite lasted 200 days

Explorer I January 1958– U.S. satellite

U.S. RESPONSE TO SPUTNIK

Eisenhower creates NASA National Aeronautic and Space Administration in 1958

1958 Congress passes National Defense Education Act

Provided millions to improve science, mathematics and foreign language education