McCarthyism+Artifacts


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=Possible Artifacts That Deal With McCarthyism=

The “Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence In Radio and Television,” was one of the main uses of propaganda that the U.S. Government put out to put down communism. On June 22, 1950, this pamphlet-style book was handed out to the public. It held the names of 151 suspected communists. The group that put it out was known as Counterattack and was run by a group of ex-FBI agents. The list included writers, actors, musicians, directors, and anyone else in the entertainment industry. Most of the people named had already been rejected jobs because of their beliefs or backgrounds but for those who hadn't and anyone else that was suspected that wasn't on the list, were basically black-listed and had their careers ended. The whole pamphlet and the idea just fed McCarthy and all his supporters and helped him do what he did. It scared the American public and let McCarthy continue his accusations. It symbolizes how obscure the U.S. Government was and how paranoid they were of communists. It also shows how desperate the American public was and how they believed anything. Its unfortunate that this pamphlet was actually made and that it was actually believed.

[|More Info] http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/4/49/180px-RedChannelsCover.jpg

This artifact represents two things. First, this microphone is very similar to the one used by CBS news anchor Edward R Murrow. Ed Murrow was the host of a television show called See It Now. On March 4, 1954, Ed Murrow used his well liked show to attack Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and the harmful ways of his plot against communism. To this day, that one episode on See It Now is known as a milestone in the history of television. It was one of the first times a television show had been used to scrutinize and expose an evil leader for what he really was. This TV broadcast is also known as the beginning of the end of McCarthyism. After the show aired, Americans followed in Mr. Murrow’s tracks, and started to speak out against McCarthyism. After the show aired, the network was flooded with phone calls all in favor of Murrow’s cause. The American people were on his side, and McCarthy could never match that. Most importantly, this artifact symbolizes the American people utilizing their right to freedom of speech. After that episode of See It Now, voices all over the nation seemed amplified as they spoke out in protest of McCarthy’s prejudice and awful tactics. It is no doubt that Edward R. Murrow contributed greatly to this outcome and eventual end to McCarthyism, but it is the American people who stopped it. They just needed a little wake-up call from someone like Ed.

http://www.cbsmysterytheater.com/old_fashion_radio_microphone_md_wht.gif

David Greenglass’ Drawing

This artifact symbolizes the drawing of a nuclear weapon design that David Greenglass sketched. The sketch is known as Exhibit 8. Greenglass was Ethel Rosenberg’s brother. He worked on the development of the atomic bomb (the Manhattan Project). Greenglass would pass information he gained from constructing the bombs and then pass it on to the Rosenbergs. Above is one of a bomb designs that he supposedly passed onto the Rosenbergs in 1945. Greenglass had two other drawings as well: Exhibit 6 and 7. During the Rosenberg trail, Roy Cohn (the lawyer working against the Rosenbergs) wanted to use this drawing as evidence that Greenglass was in fact passing secrets about the atomic bomb to the Rosenbergs, which they then gave to the Soviet Union. Emanuel Bloch, the Rosenbergs attorney, didn’t want this sketch shown to the court because he knew that if it was, then the Rosenbergs would loose the case because it was clear evidence to the fact that there were messages passed between them. However, the Rosenbergs lost the case anyway and the drawing above was sealed from the public for fear that if anyone else discovered it, then it could be sold to the Soviet Union. The drawing was later released in 1966, because it was found to be of not much importance.

In conclusion, a replica of Greenglass’s drawing was used as an artifact because it played a major role in the Rosenberg case which was one of the most controversial cases in American history. This picture was one of the reasons why the Rosenbergs were proven guilty and then executed. The Rosenbergs were subjects to political persecution because they were killed not because they were spies; they were sentenced to death because they were communist. This happened because during the time of the Red Scare, many were convicted of being communist and punished for it. Since the Rosenberg case was so famous, many finally realized the terrible persecution that was going on and how it was unfair. Therefore, this drawing played a key role in the trail for it proved as evidence that Greenglass made sketches of the atomic bomb and then sent them to the Rosenbergs, which from there they would pass onto the Soviets.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Greenglass_bomb_diagram.png/445px-Greenglass_bomb_diagram.png

• Mel Gibson • Brad Pitt • David Ortiz • Derek Jeter • LeBron James • Dick Cheney • Angelina Jolie • Jessica Simpson • Andy Roddick • Tiger Woods • Peyton Manning • Tom Brady • Ryan Seacrest • Olympia Snowe • Ben Affleck • Paul Mccartney • Elton John • Beyonce Knowles • Jennifer Aniston • Barack Obama • Jennifer Lopez • Carrie Underwood • Jordin Sparks • Bill Gates • Donald Trump • Curtis Jackson • Kiefer Sutherland • Condoleezza Rice • Colin Powell • John Roberts Jr. • Nancy Pelosi • Orlando Bloom • Ellen DeGeneres • Oprah Winfrey • George Clooney • Stephen King • Katie Couric • Larry King • Dan Brown • Steven Spielberg • Jerry Seinfeld
 * List of 205 Communists**

List of 205 Suspected Communists

This artifact symbolizes the list written by Joseph McCarthy containing 205 names of people he claimed were communists. McCarthy said he had a list of these names at a speech in West Virginia on February 9, 1950. The names on McCarthy’s list were completely random and not true. All of the names on this list above are of famous actors, politicians, and athletes today in America. This is an example of how McCarthy’s list would look. Both lists are examples of famous names in the media. McCarthy’s list would look similar in the sense that he would put anybody on his list for ridiculous reasons. Lots of people on McCarthy’s lists were members of the State Department and other government seats. McCarthy also claimed that all of these people were involved with the Communist Party. None of the people on McCarthy’s list was actually communist. All of it was never proven accurate, just like the artifact above. It is just a a compile of random names, which shows how foolish this list is, just like McCarthy’s list was.

In conclusion, this artifact shows what nonsense McCarthy’s list had. McCarthy accused anyone of being communist for various reasons. The only reason why he did this was because he wanted to boost his own popularity and fame. He was the main advocator for the second Red Scare. He had no reason to back up his claims and would persecute people unfairly because he wanted to be seen as a hero. Therefore, this list would be just like McCarthy’s list for it has lots of famous people. However, this list was made to make fun of McCarthy and the inaccurate accusations he made towards others during his time.

This artifact symbolizes how important Margaret Chase Smith was to our society in the fifties. Although she never got Time Magazine’s Person of The Year, she very much deserved such a nomination. She also played a big role in the downfall of McCarthyism! On June 1, 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith became the first senator to publicly denounce the appalling practices of Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy. Many were amazed to seeq that a Senator from Maine headed the fight against McCarthyism. Many were also amazed that the senator was a woman. Her speech against McCarthyism was called the “Declaration of Conscience”. This artifact also symbolizes the downfall of McCarthyism. McCarthy did not take this lightly and fired back by throwing her off one paticular sub-committe and attempting to have her election lost come November. But Senator Smith had the last word in saying, “My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned but not bought.” McCarthyism was finaly coming to an end, thanks to the words and actions of Maine Senator, Margaret Chase Smith!