Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapter 28, 29, 30
- Lesson
- Minimum of 1 primary source
- Minimum of 4 scholarly sources (in addition to the textbook)
Optional Resources to Explore
Feel free to review the library guide for scholarly sources and videos at the following link:
- Link (website): History Library Guide (Links to an external site.)
Introduction
The purposes of each case study assignment include the following:
- To hone your abilities to research using scholarly sources
- To advance critical thinking and writing skills
- To compile a response to the prompts provided
- To explore a historical topic and make connections to change over time
Instructions
Pick one (1) of the following topics. Then, address the corresponding questions/prompts for your selected topic. Use at least one (1) documented example of the corresponding primary source in your writing.
Option 1: McCarthyism and Anti-Communist Campaigns
The Cold War brought about an irrational fear of communism and communist activities in the United States. As we are learning this week, one of the most vocal instigators of this paranoia was Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy delivered a speech about the imminent threat of communism on February 9, 1950. Perform a search on the internet and locate and read Joseph McCarthy’s speech given in Wheeling, West Virginia on February 9, 1950. Copy and paste the following keywords into your Google search bar: “Joseph McCarthy, Wheeling, West Virginia.” The speech is also referred to as “Enemies from Within.”
Construct the case study by responding to the following prompts:
- Explain how Senator Joseph McCarthy defined communist nations within the speech. What specific threats did these nations pose?
- Assess if Senator Joseph McCarthy charges were accurate.
- Analyze anti-communist sentiments during the Cold War era, were these sentiments valid. If so, how? If not, why not?
- Explain if there are other examples of events similar to the Red Scare that have occurred throughout history and modern day.
- Examine what happened to people who invoked the Fifth Amendment, refused to appear or were found in violation of the law as defined by the Congressional Committee.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
- Length: 4-5 pages (not including title page and references page)
- 1-inch margins
- Double spaced
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- Title page
- References page
- In-text citations that correspond with your end reference
SOLUTION
Explain how Senator Joseph McCarthy defined communist nations within the speech. What specific threats did these nations pose?
Senator Joseph McCarthy gave a speech in Ohio County where he defined communist nations as communistic traitorous and atheist that were mainly out to destroy the world. Senator Joseph compares religious beliefs, social, and morality aspects between communists and the western people. He defines these nations as momentous and trusted the US state department members were all communists in his speech. The main changes that would establish a big gap between the world of atheistic communists and the western Christian world would be morality and not politics. McCarthy outlined that communists were not morally upright, mostly on some of the incidents, like the Marxian idea of grabbing the land and controlling the whole economy as one entity (McCarthyism, n.d.). Lenin, a communist, also came up with the idea of getting the police state run by a single party. McCarthy considered this immoral because it would leave many people suffering. The above examples are bad and momentous ideas because they would cause a worldwide division. Communism claimed to be a great and universal ideology that could impact people positively but clearly, it would cause damage to all Americans in such a way that no economic or political system would cause. The Soviet Union being a communist empire, sought control over different nations. The United States feared that communism would rapidly spread, influence citizens, and alter their ideologies. “Just as the US government feared the possibility of Communist infiltration of the United States, so too was it alert for signs that Communist forces were on the move elsewhere,” (Corbett, 2018). Communism was against Christianity, which was evident when Marx expelled communist members who talked of morality, humanity, love, and justice.
Assess if Senator Joseph McCarthy charges were accurate.
Senator Joseph McCarthy stated that communist nations were a great threat to everyone. He pointed out that China was accepting the communist revolution, and the Soviet Union would designate an atomic device. The atomic device involved foreign policy disasters that the communists initiated in the American government. Senator McCarthy incited anxiety regarding the subversive communists.……please click the purchase button below to access the entire solution at $10