McCarthy Hearings Research Paper

BACKGROUND

On February 9, 1950, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, publicly charged that at least 205 Department of State employees were Communists, traitors, and spies. This accusation touched a deep sense of fear among many Americans that the Communists were infiltrating the country and would eventually take over. Congress investigated the charges, and hearings were conducted during which many innocent people lost their livelihoods and reputations.

BROWSE FOR BOOKS ON THE SHELF USING THESE CALL NUMBERS

973.918

335.4

353.6

320.973

Biography section under McCarthy, Joseph

LOOK UNDER THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS IN THE CATALOG (CARD OR COMPUTER)

McCarthy, Joseph—1908–1957

Communism—United States

McCarthy-Army controversy, 1954

Subversive activities—United States

Anti-communist movements—United States

REFERENCE MATERIALS THAT MAY HELP (BOOKS OR CD-ROMS)

Commager, Henry Steele, et al. The American Destiny, 1976.

Hochman, Stanley, and Eleanor Hochman. A Dictionary of Contemporary American History: 1945 to the Present, 1993.

Magill, Frank N., ed. Great Events from History: American History Series, 1975.

PERIODICAL INDEXES TO SEARCH (BOOKS OR CD-ROMS)

EBSCO Magazine Article Summaries

InfoTrac

NewsBank and other newspaper indexes

Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature

SIRS (Social Issues Resources Series)

WILSONDISC
ONLINE DATABASES TO SEARCH

Dialog

Internet

KEY WORDS AND DESCRIPTORS FOR PERIODICAL INDEX AND ONLINE SEARCHES

McCarthy, Joseph

Communists—investigations

Anti-Communist movements

McCarthy witch hunt trials

McCarthy hearings

McCarthy-army controversy

VIDEOTAPE ON THIS TOPIC

McCarthy: Death of a Witch Hunter. MPI Home Video, 1986.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION TO CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Joseph R. McCarthy Foundation, P.O. Box 8040, Appleton, WI 54913.

SUGGESTIONS FOR NARROWING THIS TOPIC

Assess the role of television in the McCarthy hearings.

Discuss the impact of the McCarthy hearings on civil liberties.

Report on a key personality in these events; e.g., Alger Hiss, Klaus Fuchs, Margaret Chase Smith, Roy Cohn.

What were McCarthy’s political motives?

SUGGESTIONS FOR RELATED TOPICS

American Communist party

Cold War

Red Scare

Rosenberg Case

Voice of America

This RESEARCH TOPIC GUIDE is intended to help the library user find information and materials on a particular topic in many sources throughout the library. Resources on this topic are not limited to those described and availability will depend upon the individual library. Feel free to ask a librarian for assistance.



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