Question

J.S. History Unit 11

1 poin
1. How did McCarthyism affect Americans psychologically?
O There was no effect because there were no Communists in the United
States.
O McCarthyism was like a "Witch Hunt" and Americans were fearful that
they would be labeled as Communists.
O Americans supported McCarthyism as the means to end communism.
O All of the above

Answer 1

B. McCarthyism was like a "Witch Hunt" and Americans feared that they would be labeled as Communists.

There were many people who did not doubt that what McCarthy declared regarding the Communist threat was true; that there were communists everywhere, prepared to debilitate the country in advance of nuclear war. The fears shared amongst members of the American collective, both intimate and public, coalesced into a “Red menace,” a new bogeyman that “could be everywhere.” Coworkers, neighbors, associates, and friends—no one was exempt from suspicion.