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Former State Department official Alger Hiss testified before HUAC, accused by Whittaker Chambers of being a Soviet spy. Though he denied it, his case fueled suspicion that Communists had infiltrated the government. -
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated Hollywood, accusing screenwriters, directors, and actors of spreading Communist propaganda. Ten men—later called the “Hollywood Ten”—refused to testify and were blacklisted, ending or damaging their careers. -
President Truman issued Executive Order 9835, requiring federal employees to be screened for loyalty. This was the first major government action of the Second Red Scare. -
Eleven Communist Party leaders were convicted under the Smith Act for advocating the overthrow of the government. The trials showed how the government criminalized radical political speech. -
NATO was created to defend against Soviet expansion in Europe. Its formation heightened American fears of global Communist aggression and strengthened support for anti-Communist policies at home. -
The McCarran Internal Security Act required Communist organizations to register with the government and allowed detention of suspected subversives. Truman vetoed it, but Congress overrode him. -
Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed he had a list of 205 Communists working in the U.S. State Department. This speech launched “McCarthyism,” a campaign of accusations without solid evidence. -
Hiss was convicted of perjury (not espionage, since the statute of limitations had passed). His conviction convinced many Americans that Communists were indeed working within the government. -
The Rosenbergs were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviets. Their execution in 1953 shocked the world and deepened Cold War paranoia. -
The execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for espionage shocked Americans. Many saw it as proof of Soviet infiltration, while critics argued the evidence was weak. -
McCarthy accused the U.S. Army of harboring Communists. The televised hearings exposed his bullying tactics and led to his downfall. -
The Senate officially censured McCarthy for “conduct unbecoming a senator,” effectively ending his influence and the peak of McCarthyism.