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McCarthyism was able to gain its strength because of the growing fear of Communism in China and Eastern Europe that spread to the United States.
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McCarthyism was part of the anti-Communist fear spreading around the world at the time of the Cold War. The global scare was referred to as the 'Red Scare'.
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McCarthyism destroyed many careers, including those of entertainment professionals such as writers, directors, producers, actors, actresses, and others in Hollywood, who were 'blacklisted' as a result of the unfounded accusations.
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Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, Arthur Miller, Lena Horne, and many others in Hollywood were targeted by McCarthyism.
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Ten men in Hollywood who had been subpoenaed to testify as to their possible (unfounded) involvement in Communism chose to cite the First Amendment's guarantee of the right to free assembly and free speech instead of answering the question "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States?" Because they didn't answer, they were all sentenced to jail time. Eight men were sentenced to six months and two received a year in jail for being in Contempt of Congress.
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The Hollywood Blacklist was never publicly acknowledged but many lost their jobs for being included on the list.
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McCarthyism led to more than 2000 government employees losing their jobs.
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President Dwight Eisenhower did not agree with Joseph McCarthy's ideas or methods of dealing with the perceived Communist threat.
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People of all walks of life in the United States were afraid to stand up to Joseph McCarthy as they feared that they too would be accused of being a Communist.
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Once accused of being a Communist, people often lost their jobs and had a very difficult time finding work again.
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Joseph McCarty was one of only three United States Senators to be censored by the Senate. On December 2nd, 1954 the U.S. Senate voted to condemn Senator Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonour and disrepute". The results of the vote were 65 - 22 to condemn him.
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Joseph McCarthy, the man responsible for ruining many lives with false or unfounded accusations, died at the age of 48. He was still a United States Senator when he died in 1957 of cirrhosis of the liver.
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In 1959 President Harry S. Truman declared the House Un-American Activities Committee to be the "most un-American thing in the country today".
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The House Un-American Activities Committee was not formally terminated until January 14th, 1975.
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