1. McCarthyism
(Humanity VS. Society)
Jessica Travis
Autumn Scruggs 3B
Ashley Phillips AP_Eng.

2. Terms to know:
 McCarthyism – 1. the practice of making
accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-
Communist activity, in many instances unsupported
by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant
evidence. 2. the practice of making unfair
allegations or using unfair investigative techniques,
especially in order to restrict dissent or political
criticism.
 Humanity – 1. all human beings collectively; the
human race; humankind. 2. the quality or condition
of being human; human nature. 3. the quality of
being humane; kindness; benevolence.
 Society – 1. an organized group of persons
associated together for religious, benevolent,
cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other
purposes. 2. a body of individuals living as members
of a community; community. 3. the body of human
beings generally, associated or viewed as members
of a community: the evolution of human society.

3. Joseph McCarthy.
- “McCarthyism is Americanism with its sleeves rolled up.”
 November 14, 1908
 Joseph McCarthy is born in Appleton, Wisconsin
 Education
 He dropped out of grade school at age 14, but
returned to finish his studies in 1928, permitting
him to attend Marquette University
 Received law diploma and began to dabble in
unsuccessful law practices
 Politics
 Was a Democrat early on, but switched into the
Republican Party after being overlooked as a
candidate in the Democratic Party for district
attorney

4. Joseph McCarthy.
- “This is the most unheard of thing I’ve heard of.”
 Campaign
 To stimulate political career, McCarthy quit his
job as circuit court judge and joined the Marines
during World War II.
 McCarthy ran as the Republican candidate for the
Wisconsin Senate seat, where he used
propaganda and accusations against his
opponent, Robert La Follette, to promote his own
campaign
 McCarthy won the election by saying La Follette
wasn’t a good American because he didn’t enlist
in the war

5. Joseph McCarthy.
- “The fate of the world rests with the clash between the atheism
of Moscow and the Christian spirit throughout the world.”
 Re-Election
 McCarthy had an unimpressive first term, so he
searched for ways to ensure his political success,
resorting even to corruption
 Edmund Walsh, a close fellow Roman Catholic and
anti-communist, suggested a crusade against so-
called communists.
 McCarthy enthusiastically agreed and took
advantage of the nation’s wave of fanatic terror
against communism
 Thus beginning the era of McCarthyism

6. Red Scare/McCarthy Era
 Itbegan when Joseph McCarthy made a
speech on Lincoln Day, February 9, 1950, to the
Republican Women's Club of Wheeling, West
Virginia.
 He produced a piece of paper which he claimed
contained a list of 205 known Communists working for
the State Department
 The American public went crazy with the thought
of seditious communists living within the United
States, and roared for the investigation of the
underground agitators.
 The American public went crazy with the thought
of communists living within the United States, and
demanded for the investigation of the
underground agitators.

7. Red Scare/McCarthy Era
 Thousands
of Americans were accused of being
Communists or communist sympathizers
 Became the subject of aggressive investigations and
questioning before government or private-industry
panels, committees and agencies.
 Suspicions were often believed despite inconclusive or
questionable evidence, and the threat posed by a
person's real or supposed communist involvement was
exaggerated.
 Many people suffered loss of employment and/or
destruction of their careers
 Some even suffered imprisonment

8. Victims
 The
number imprisoned is in the hundreds, and
some ten or twelve thousand lost their jobs
 Main targets were government employees,
those in the entertainment industry, educators
and union activists.
 Suspected homosexuality was also a common
cause for being targeted. The hunt for "sexual
perverts", who were presumed to be subversive
by nature, resulted in thousands being harassed
and denied employment
 Notable reporters were also targeted,
especially if they spoke out against McCarthy.

9. Wait...
 Very few amounts of evidence.
 This evidence isn’t even worthy of being evidence.
 Most of the time the evidence is coincidental at
best.
 So why did they suffer through all of this?
Our guess? Because McCarthy
said they were communist.

10. McCarthyism and Humanity
 Joseph McCarthy caused mass mayhem and
nation-wide panic through his use of reiterating
the words “Communists are bad, and they are
infiltrating our government.”
 Joseph McCarthy may or may not have been a
crazy man. He may or may not have truly believed
his own words. But this one man, who only did this
out of sheer desire to be remembered in history
books, sparked an era of fear and paranoia.
 Because of his speeches, because of his words,
society molded into what he wished. Society has
the power to corrupt a thousand people. One
man’s words can force any number of individuals
to believe anything.

11. How it Relates to the Crucible
 Notto mention Arthur Miller himself was one of
the people accused.

12.  Soin conclusion with all of this evidence
you should believe our pov that states
that Joseph Mccarthy cried Communism
and with his selfish desires forced society
to mold to his will and people therefore
believed it existed.