McCarthyism is a symptom of fascism. Its methods and tactics negate democracy. Philip Randolph, the editor of the Black Worker, on March 15, 1953.
That statement is thought to be true by many people and that period might remain the darkest period in the history of the United States but the whole decade cannot be foist on one person. McCarthy was the person who could take the opportunity and won others round to his aims. With his demagogy he was able to influence almost the whole nation.
After World War II the United States were the only nation who became stronger economically and military and who could remain a World Power but during the 1950s the society of America seemed to be corrupt and weak, everybody was mistrustful of other people. .
This period, called McCarthyism was not just a political phenomenon but it had certain effects on the people. Not only were those people afraid of him who had been already attacked but everyone else because it had not been known who would be the next.
That witch-hunting was connect with Joseph McCarthy but before him, after 1917 there had been several occasions about this theme which disturbed the American political life. For instance, in 1938 the conservatives, who attacked Roosevelt, created the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) whose main task was to find and clear up communists. In 1940, the Smith Act made it possible to prosecute the communists-.(Magyarics, Frank 423)+++.
The Red Scare- rose its head in the US after the Soviet government announced the Communist regime and decided to make it international. People were afraid of radical movements and after some bomb explosions the persecution of the radicals began. Hundreds of innocent victims were imprisoned and deported because they were thought to have radical ideas.
In 1947 a loyalty program , the so-called Executive Order was issued by President Truman to expose those who might had got relations with communism.