This week, students in 11th grade history learned about the McCarthy hearings and the Communist 'Witch hunts' of the early 1950's.
Many people had joined the communist party during the 1930's, including my own grandfather. There were Americans who felt let down by failure of the capitalist system which created the Great Depression.
For those in Hollywood who flirted with Communism, or went to "communist" meetings, their actions came back to haunt them. Hollywood was targeted as a hotbed of communist ideology.
Dalton Trumbo was one of the writers who was targeted. He was blacklisted, and would not receive credit for many of the screenplays he wrote. After 1989, when Communism fell, it was revealed that spying by Russian moles was more widespread than previously thought. Maybe McCarthy was right...but he was clearly wrong the way he went about fighting the perceived communist threats.
Many people had joined the communist party during the 1930's, including my own grandfather. There were Americans who felt let down by failure of the capitalist system which created the Great Depression.
For those in Hollywood who flirted with Communism, or went to "communist" meetings, their actions came back to haunt them. Hollywood was targeted as a hotbed of communist ideology.
Dalton Trumbo was one of the writers who was targeted. He was blacklisted, and would not receive credit for many of the screenplays he wrote. After 1989, when Communism fell, it was revealed that spying by Russian moles was more widespread than previously thought. Maybe McCarthy was right...but he was clearly wrong the way he went about fighting the perceived communist threats.
