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McCarthyism is the term describing a period of intense Anti-Communist suspicion in the United States that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s . This period is also referred to as the Second Red Scare , and coincided with increased fears about Communist influence on American institutions and Espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the actions of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy , "McCarthyism" later took on a more general meaning, not necessarily referring to the conduct of Joseph McCarthy alone. During this time many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and Union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned,For example, '' Yates V. United States '', 1957; or Watkins v. United States, 1957: laws that would be declared unconstitutional, For example, the California "Levering Oath" law, declared unconstitutional in 1967: dismissals for reasons later declared illegal For example, ''Slochower v. Board of Education'', 1956: or Actionable , For example, ''Faulk vs. AWARE Inc., et al'', 1956: or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute. ORIGINS OF MCCARTHYISM (aka Herblock ) coined the term "McCarthyism" in this cartoon in the March 29, 1950 ''Washington Post'']] The historical period known as McCarthyism began well before Joseph McCarthy 's own involvement in it. There are many factors that can be counted as contributing to McCarthyism, some of them extending back to the years of the First Red Scare (1917-1920), and indeed to the inception of Communism as a recognized political force. Thanks in part to its success in organizing Labor Unions and its early opposition to Fascism , the Communist Party Of The United States (CPUSA) increased its membership through the 1930s, reaching a peak of 50,000 members in 1942. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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