American History: The Modern Era Textbook Activities
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American History: The Modern Era
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Chapter 20: The Cold War
"The Red Scare"

Introduction
     In this chapter, you learned that America's fear of communism during the 1950s prompted some officials to accuse fellow citizens of being Communists and secretly working to undermine the nation. One of the most vocal accusers was Senator Joseph McCarthy. Go to the Internet to learn more about McCarthy and his views.

Destination Title: The Cold War
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Directions
Start at the The Cold War Web site.
  • Click on McCarthy's 1951 Senate Speech.
  • Read the excerpt and answer the following questions.
1. What was McCarthy implying when he stated that Communists would kill too many friends if they dropped atomic bombs on Washington?


2. Why was McCarthy not worried about "open" Communists?


3. Why does McCarthy criticize the Truman administration?


4. What criticism might you direct toward McCarthy based on this speech? What step does he fail to take that an accuser seems obligated to do?
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