The Red Scare (1950s).

1. HUAC- The HUAC was a committie which investigated possible communist influences in the US government and US industries.

2. Blacklist- A list of influential Americans who have communist backgrounds.

3. Alger Hiss- A state department official who was accused of being a spy for the USSR. President Richard Nixon gained early fame for trying to have him convicted.

4. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg- Were convicted of and executed for leaking information on the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. This information helped the Soviets successfuly create an atomic bomb three to five years earlier than expected.

5. Joseph McCarthy- The Republican US senator who became famous for accuseing the US government of being riddled with Communists.

6. McCarthyism- Senator McCarthy's unsupported accusations of US government officials being communist.

7. Senator McCarthy decided to make his crusade against domestic communism to gain popularity. His ability to be reelected into his senate seat was not strong, and he needed a vocal point to gain popularity from the voters. The most sesical way to do this was to play off the voters' greatest fear, communists at home. By convinceing the American public that the US government was full of communists, he also convinced them he was the only hope to find them. Not to look pro-communist, even those who doubted him followed him. This helped him gain popularity among the voters.