Unit 3: Year 11 Revision Sheets: 1945-1970-Red Scare and Mccarthyism

Unit 3: Year 11 Revision Sheets: 1945-1970-Red Scare and McCarthyism

External factors in the Cold War

-Potsdam Conference-relations between Superpowers (America and Soviet Union) get bad.

-At Potsdam, Stalin discovers that America has the atomic bomb and so is angry. Truman is angry because Stalin has taken over Eastern Europe and is spreading communism.

-Stalin takes over Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, etc as a reward for 26 million Soviet lives lost in WW2 and to create a buffer zone between Soviet Union and the West.

-Winston Churchill (former British PM) makes a speech in America, in which he says “an Iron Curtain has descended upon Europe”. By this he means that Europe has been divided in two; Capitalist West and Communist East. At first just an imaginary line, but over time becomes a real divide of barbed wire, etc.

-1947 Truman Doctrine issued by President Truman of America. This is a speech, in which America promises help to any country under threat from Communism. The money part is called Marshall Aid and 17 countries in capitalist Europe accept almost $14 billion.

-Stalin is furious that America is trying to take control of Western Europe and introduces his own money in Eastern Europe called Comecon.

-Between 1948-1949 Stalin blockades West Berlin (stops food, supplies getting in by road, rail and canal). He wants to make West Berlin surrender to communism but America and Britain will not let this happen. They drop food from the air called the Berlin Airlift, in which a British or American plane sets off every 3 minutes to drop supplies. Stalin has to stop the blockade in 1949 after 11 months.

-1949-Soviet Union develop their own atomic bomb. An arms race now begins with America, for who can build the most weapons.

-1949- China, the country with the world’s biggest population becomes Communist.

-1949-NATO is set up by the West, in which 13 countries promise to protect each other if attacked by Communists.

-1950-1953 America is involved in the Korean War as part of the Truman Doctrine. This was when Communist North Korea invaded Capitalist South Korea and America came to the aid of South Korea.

Red Scare in America

-1. Truman set up the Federal Employee Loyalty Programme known as FELP in 1947. It checked all government employees to make sure they had no connection to communism. Although FELP did not find any cases of spying, 3,000 employees were forced to resign and 200 were sacked.

2. In 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began to examine the film industry for communists. There was a government fear that some films showed sympathy for communism. Ten writers and directors were interrogated by the HUAC and asked if they had ever been members of the Communist party. They refused to answer by taking the Fifth Amendment. The ‘Hollywood Ten’ were sent to prison and sacked from their jobs. The HUAC also carried out investigations of government workers, teachers, etc. This was seen as a ‘Communist witch-hunt’ and even if people were found innocent; they had a black mark against their name.

3. Alger Hiss case emerged 1948-1950 when Alger Hiss, a leading government official who had worked for President Roosevelt was arrested and sent to prison for 5 years for perjury. He was accused of copying government documents onto microfilm, allegedly to give to the Soviet Union. He was arrested by Richard Nixon who was a member of the HUAC (later became American president). Hiss denies to this day that he was spying for the Soviets.

4. The case of the Rosenberg’s led to an even greater fear of communism in the Soviet Union. Married couple Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were arrested on suspicion of spying and giving atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. This happened just after the Korean War began; increasing tensions. They were sentenced to death and executed in June 1953, despite denying any wrong-doing. In contrast, the spy who had given away most secrets to the Soviets lived in England and was only sentenced to 14 years in prison.

5. McCarran Internal Security Act 1950 was passed which stated that

-all members of the communist party had to register with the government so they could be monitored.

-In the event of war, communists could be held in detention camps/ communists not allowed to work in weapons factories or have US passports.

Unit 3: Year 11 Revision Sheets: 1945-1970- McCarthyism

-McCarthy produces a list of 205 names in February 1950- of government workers who he claimed were communist. He did not have any evidence.

-Senator Tydings accuses McCarthy of being ‘a fraud and a hoax’ in 1950-McCarthy then accuses Tydings of being a Communist and he loses his seat in the elections of 1950. Politicians including President Truman are too scared to challenge McCarthy.

-McCarran Actwas passed in 1950 despite President Truman opposing it because it restricted freedom of speech.(see previous page)

-McCarthy was madeChairman of the Government Committee on Operations of the Senatewhich allowed him to investigate hundreds of people. His hearings and statements ruined the lives of many, but he became a popular figure in a country gripped by the Red Scare

-Republicans won the election in 1952 with Eisenhower becoming President. McCarthy’s popularity was a major reason for this victory.

-1950-1954 McCarthyaccused huge numbers of people including scientists, diplomats, members of the Democrat party, writers and actors.

-Healso investigated libraries to see if they contained anti-American books and many books were removed and no longer published.

-McCarthy never produced any evidence but he received lots of publicity in newspapers.

-May 1953- Oct 19546,924government workers lost their jobs when Eisenhower set up his own version of the FELP(Federal Employee Loyalty Programme).

-April –June 195445 army officers were accused of being communist by McCarthy on television. He was seen as an aggressive bully who had no evidence against these men.

-December 1954- Senate attacked McCarthy’s behaviour and he was accused of ‘improper conduct’.

-1954 Communist Party banned

-1957 McCarthy dies

Unit 3: Year 11 Revision Sheets: 1945-1970-Civil Rights-World War Two

Armed Forces

• The armed forces were segregated.
• 1 million black Americans fought in the armed forces but only 12 of them were officers.
• Black soldiers were given the most boring jobs such as cooks and labourer rather than sent to fight.
• Black nurses were only allowed to treat black soldiers
• Worst discrimination was in the navy with black sailors given the most dangerous job of loading ammunition on the ships.
• As the war went on there were some racially integrated units supported by General Eisenhower (who was in charge of the armed forces in the Second World War).
• By the end of the war, there were 6,000 black officers and integrated units had increased. There were also some black pilots which had not existed at the start of the war. BUT army did not desegregate until 1948

Double V Campaign

• The Second World War was about fighting Hitler and racism and discrimination abroad but in America, black Americans were segregated and treated like second class citizens. This led to campaigns to get civil rights for black Americans.
• The black press set up the ‘Double V Campaign’ which meant fighting for victory in the war and victory for blacks getting equality at home in America.

‘March on Washington Movement’ – was set up by a leadingblack campaignercalled Philip Randolph who hoped to attract up to 100,000 people with his call for equality. He also threatened a strike by black workers.

Executive Order 8802

• Roosevelt passed this government order which said there should be no discrimination in government jobs.

Fair Employment Practice Committee

• Roosevelt was worried about Randolph’s threat of a strike and so he promised to stop discrimination against blacks in industrial and government jobs by setting up the FEPC (Fair Employment Practice Committee). It worked by threatening to remove government contracts from those companies who discriminated against black workers.

CORE – Congress of Racial Equality – 1942

• This was set up to use non-violent protest to get equal rights for black people.

NAACP- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – grew rapidly during the war.

Race Riots

-400,000 black Americans migrated from the South to the North to get jobs in the big cities.

-Black workers only earned half of white workers. This led to race riots in 47 cities, the worst was

-Detroit in June 1943 where 25 black and 9 white people were killed. Also 700 people were injured and there was huge damage to property of $2 million.

Unit 3: Year 11 Revision Sheets: 1945-1970-Civil Rights-Education

1. Brown v Board of Education of Topeka 1954

• It was legal in America for states to have separate schools for black and white children. Those for blacks were always ill equipped.
• The NAACP complained about the poor quality of black schools compared to white.
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) decided to challenge racist laws through the courts.
• In 1950 the Supreme Court said that states had to provide equal education for black and white students but did not say the schools had to be integrated.

Brown v Board of Education of Topeka 1954

• Oliver Brown (black) with the help of the NAACP brought a case against the Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas. It was about his daughter, 7 year old Linda Brown who had to travel several miles and cross a rail track to get to school rather than go to a whites-only school near to her house.
• In 1954 the Supreme Court stated that Linda Brown should be able to go to the local school; and that the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ had no place in education meaning segregation in education was wrong and must end.

Results

• Supreme Court did not give a deadline by which schools had to integrate, which meant many states chose not to desegregate their schools until 1960’s.
• However, this was seen as a major civil rights victory because segregation in education was now unconstitutional.
• White Citizens Councils were set up in the South to keep segregation.

2. Little Rock Nine 1957

• Following the Brown v Board of Education case in 1954, all schools were supposed to integrate. However, by 1957 only 2 states, Texas and Arkansas tried to integrate their schools.

• In September 1957 9 black students were about to start at the all white school, Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Their parents were all active in civil rights groups such as the NAACP.
• The Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus would not allow the black children to enter the school and surrounded it with state National Guard soldiers.
• Faubus was forced to remove the troops and the 9 black students turned up for school on 5th September 1957. A mix up meant that 15 year old Elizabeth Eckford did not meet the other 8 students at a designated place and so faced a hostile crowd alone. She ran to the soldiers terrified but they ignored her and she was faced with a white mob screaming “Lynch her!” The mob would not let the 9 students enter the school.
• President Eisenhower was forced to take action because America’s reputation was being damaged on the international stage. He sent 1,000 federal troops for 1 year to protect the 9 students.
• Once in the school, the 9 students faced appalling discrimination, such as racist chants, being kicked, hit, beaten up in the showers, etc. One of the 9, Minniejean Brown was expelled for pouring hot chilli on a boy who kept calling her ‘nigger’.
• A year later in September 1958, Orval Faubus closed down all the schools in Little Rock to prevent integration.
• The Supreme Court ruled this was unacceptable and the schools were reopened and integrated.

Why was it important?

• President Eisenhower and the federal government were now involved in civil rights.
• Eisenhower had over-ruled the actions of the State government of Arkansas.
• The world could see the levels of discrimination in America and the country was `seen as hypocritical for criticising a lack of human rights under communism.

3.James Meredith

• Became the first black man to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962. This causedriots and 2 people were killed. President Kennedy had to send 23,000 armed soldiers to stop Meredith from being lynched. He graduated from the university in 1964.

Unit 3:Year 11 Revision Sheets:1945-1970-Civil Rights-Transport

1.Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955-1956

-In Montgomery, Alabama like other Southern states black Americans had to sit at the back of the bus and give up their seats to white people if the bus became full.

- On 1 December 1955; 42 year old Rosa Parks (influential in the NAACP) was tired after a day at work and refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was arrested and put on trial on 5th December; being found guilty and having to pay a fine of $10.

The Bus Boycott

1. Rosa Parks was a respected member of the black community and so it was decided that they should boycott the buses in the hope that this segregation in transport would end. 70% of bus users were black and almost all of them joined the boycott.

2. Montgomery Improvement Association or MIA was set up to co-ordinate the boycott led by local Baptist minister Martin Luther King.

3. King’s house was firebombed.

4. Some employers sacked their workers who took part in the boycott.

5. Boycott leaders were arrested because there was a ‘No boycott’ law in Alabama.

6. Taxi firms owned by black Americans helped to take people to work and car-pooling was organised. However, many people had to walk several miles each day.

7. The bus company lost 65% of its income because the majority of its customers were black.

8. Boycott lasted 381 days.

The Victory

1. On 20 December 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in transport was unconstitutional and the boycott was called off.
2. This showed that victory could be achieved if black Americans acted together. It was a victory for the method of non-violent direct action.
3. IMPORTANT because

• Seen as the first major civil rights victory.
• Martin Luther King emerged as leader of the civil rights movement.

2.Freedom Riders

- Whilst the Supreme Court had ruled that buses must integrate following the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956 interstate bus stations still had segregated seating areas, toilets, etc.

- In 1960 the Supreme Court ruled that these interstate bus stations must be integrated.

Who were the Freedom Riders and what did they do?

-CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and SNCC (Student Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee) decided to find out if these bus stations had really been integrated. A group of black and white students became known as the Freedom Riders. In May 1961, 13 CORE students left Washington DC by bus to go to New Orleans. Black students went into the ‘whites only’ facilities at bus stations on the journey.

-At Anniston in Alabama their bus was burnt and the students brutally attacked.

-In Birmingham, Alabama, the Freedom riders were given no protection by the racist Chief of Police, Bull Connor.

-Throughout the summer of 1961 more and more Freedom Rides were made by CORE students.

-At Jackson, Mississippi 300 students were arrested for using ‘whites only’ facilities.

-The Ku Klux Klan regularly attacked the Freedom Riders.

-In total, 400 freedom riders were arrested and many more beaten up. 3 freedom riders were actually killed.

-By September 1961 President Kennedy was able to make a speech in which he said that there would be no more challenges by white racists to de-segregating interstate travel.

-ALL transport facilities were now desegregated.

Unit 3:Year 11 Revision Sheets:1945-1970-Civil Rights-Sit-Ins

Greensboro 1960

What happened?

1. 4 black CORE students in Greensboro, North Carolina decided to stage a sit-in at the Greensboro branch of Woolworths at the ‘whites only’ lunch counter. They stayed there the whole day.

2. Students at North Carolina State University set up SNCC (Student Non-

Violent Co-ordinating Committee). They held courses to teach protestors

how to remain non-violent when they were being attacked by racists.

1. Each day after this the number of students began rising until the 5th day when there were 300 students.

1. Woolworths had students arrested for trespass. However, when the CORE students threatened to boycott any shop in Greensboro which had segregated lunch counters the shops all agreed to stop segregation rather than risk their profits.

Sit-Ins

1. Across the Southern States of America, sit-ins were held at ‘whites only’ lunch counters. This attracted positive publicity, particularly when television broadcast pictures showing peaceful, non-violent protestors being attacked by violent white people and not reacting.

1. At least 70,000 students were involved in the sit-ins.

1. In most cases, shops now integrated their lunch counters.

Unit 3:Year 11 Revision Sheets:1945-1970-Civil Rights-Protest Marches