McCarthyism—Unjustified Slander


Joseph McCarthy, a Republican Senator of Wisconsin, was one of the most famous anti-Communist activists of the Cold War era. By creating slandering other government officials, he wished to secure his position as Senator in the reelction of 1952. However, his extreme accusations eventually lead the public to oppose his beliefs, which eventually lead to his downfall.

Known to be an inefficient legislator, during his first term in Senate, McCarthy searched for an issue to focus on, to increase support for his campaign. Considering America's paranoia for communist takeover, McCarthy made accustaions about government officials, falsely claiming them to be communist supporters. These accusations, later labled as "McCarthyism", were at first, unnnoticed by the public. He claimed to have the names of 57, 81, then 205 Communist supporters within the state department, though none of these accusations were supported. He was cautious to only make accusations within the Senate, in order to secure his immunity within his position. The Republican party, at first, made no effort to hinder McCarthy's accusations about the other government officials, for they believed they could win the1952 Presidential election despite McCarthy's criticism.

McCarthy's immunity was snuffed in 1954, after he made accusations against the US Army. This resulted in a televised investigation. His unsupported accusations eventually costed him public support; the Senate denounced him for "improper conduct". Three years later, he died.

Written By: Marlin