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Did Joseph McCarthy cause the Red Scare of the 1950s?
Despite being the popular face of the Red Scare that followed World War II, Joseph McCarthy did not start it. Congress and the American public wide...
How did Joseph McCarthy’s anticommunist rhetoric impact the LGBTQ+ community?
Joseph McCarthy framed the Cold War ideological struggle in terms of Christian morality and immoral “communistic atheism.” Throughout the early 195...
Why did Joseph McCarthy’s influence decline?
In 1953 Joseph McCarthy accused the U.S. Army of harbouring communist subversives. The Army then submitted a report alleging that McCarthy’s attorn...
Where was McCarthy born?
McCarthy was born in 1908 on a farm in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, the fifth of seven children. His mother, Bridget (Tierney), was from County Tipperary, Ireland. His father, Timothy McCarthy, was born in the United States, the son of an Irish father and a German mother. McCarthy dropped out of junior high school at age 14 to help his parents manage their farm. He entered Little Wolf High School, in Manawa, Wisconsin, when he was 20 and graduated in one year.
What did McCarthy do in 1950?
From 1950 onward, McCarthy continued to exploit the fear of Communism and to press his accusations that the government was failing to deal with Communism within its ranks . McCarthy also began investigations into homosexuals working in the foreign policy bureaucracy, who were considered prime candidates for blackmail by the Soviets. These accusations received wide publicity, increased his approval rating, and gained him a powerful national following.
How did McCarthy die?
It was hinted in the press that he died of alcoholism (cirrhosis of the liver), an estimation that is now accepted by modern biographers. He was given a state funeral that was attended by 70 senators, and a Solemn Pontifical Requiem Mass was celebrated before more than 100 priests and 2,000 others at Washington's St. Matthew's Cathedral. Thousands of people viewed his body in Washington. He was buried in St. Mary's Parish Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, where more than 17,000 people filed through St. Mary's Church in order to pay him their last respects. Three senators— George W. Malone, William E. Jenner, and Herman Welker —had flown from Washington to Appleton on the plane that carried McCarthy's casket. Robert F. Kennedy attended the funeral in Wisconsin. McCarthy was survived by his wife, Jean, and their adopted daughter, Tierney.
Why was McCarthy critical of the 1944 Malmedy massacre?
McCarthy was critical of the convictions because the German soldiers' confessions were allegedly obtained through torture during the interrogations. He argued that the U.S. Army was engaged in a coverup of judicial misconduct, but never presented any evidence to support the accusation. Shortly after this, a poll of the Senate press corps voted McCarthy "the worst U.S. senator" currently in office. McCarthy biographer Larry Tye has written that antisemitism may also have factored into McCarthy's outspoken views on Malmedy. McCarthy frequently used anti-Jewish slurs, received enthusiastic support from antisemitic politicians including Ku Klux Klansman Wesley Swift, and according to friends would display his copy of Mein Kampf, stating, "That’s the way to do it." Tye also cites three quotes from European historian Steven Remy, chief Malmedy prosecutor COL Burton Ellis JAG USA, and massacre victim and survivor Virgil P. Laru, Jr:
How many loyalty risks did McCarthy have?
During a five-hour speech, McCarthy presented a case-by-case analysis of his 81 "loyalty risks" employed at the State Department.
Why was McCarthy called "Tail Gunner Joe"?
Because of McCarthy's various lies about his military heroism, his "Tail-Gunner Joe" nickname was sarcastically used as a term of mockery by his critics. McCarthy campaigned for the Republican Senate nomination in Wisconsin while still on active duty in 1944 but was defeated by Alexander Wiley, the incumbent.
Where did McCarthy go to law school?
McCarthy worked his way through college, studying first electrical engineering for two years, then law, and receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1935 from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee.
How long did Senator McCarthy try to expose communists?
Senator McCarthy spent almost five years trying in vain to expose communists and other left-wing “loyalty risks” in the U.S. government. In the hyper-suspicious atmosphere of the Cold War, insinuations of disloyalty were enough to convince many Americans that their government was packed with traitors and spies.
Where did McCarthy give his speech?
In February 1950, appearing at the Ohio County Women’s Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, McCarthy gave a speech that propelled him into the national spotlight. Waving a piece of paper in the air, he declared that he had a list of 205 known members of the Communist Party who were “working and shaping policy” in the State Department.
What was the name of the communist who said "Have you no sense of decency sir"?
Joseph McCarthy and the Rise of McCarthyism. “Have you no sense of decency, sir?”. The Fall of Joseph McCarthy. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the prospect of communist subversion at home and abroad seemed frighteningly real to many people in the United States.
What happened to McCarthy after the hearings?
By the time the hearings were over, McCarthy had lost most of his allies. The Senate voted to condemn him for his “inexcusable,” “reprehensible,” “vulgar and insulting” conduct “unbecoming a senator.” He kept his job but lost his power, and died in 1957 at the age of 48.
How did the Army undermine McCarthy's credibility?
First, the Army undermined the senator’s credibility by showing evidence that he had tried to win preferential treatment for his aides when they were drafted.
What was McCarthy's redbaiting campaign?
In 1953, at the beginning of his second term as senator, McCarthy was put in charge of the Committee on Government Operations, which allowed him to launch even more expansive investigations of the alleged communist infiltration of the federal government.
What was the environment for Joseph McCarthy?
All of these factors combined to create an atmosphere of fear and dread, which proved a ripe environment for the rise of a staunch anticommunist like Joseph McCarthy. At the time, McCarthy was a first-term senator from Wisconsin who had won election in 1946 after a campaign in which he criticized his opponent’s failure to enlist during World War II while emphasizing his own wartime heroics.
What was Joseph McCarthy's political future?
At the start of 1950, Joseph McCarthy’s political future did not look promising. McCarthy had been elected senator from Wisconsin in 1946, after switching his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and running as a decorated Marine veteran with the nickname Tail Gunner Joe. Even then, he had a reputation as a scofflaw. He had exaggerated his war record. He first ran for Senate (and lost) while he was still in uniform, which was against Army regulations, and he ran his second Senate campaign while he was a sitting judge, a violation of his oath. Questions had been raised about whether he had dodged his taxes and where his campaign funds had come from.
What did McCarthy talk about?
McCarthy didn’t know what he was going to talk about (he never planned very far ahead), so he brought notes for a couple of speeches: one about housing for veterans, and one, consisting mostly of clippings cobbled together by a speechwriter, about Communists in the government. McCarthy had seemingly had very little to do with that second speech, but he decided to go with it.
Why did Joseph Welch not beat McCarthy?
They worried that he was unprepared. But Welch knew that he could not beat McCarthy on the facts, because McCarthy would just make up new facts.
How did McCarthy die?
Already a heavy drinker, he descended further into alcoholism, and he died on May 2, 1957, in Bethesda Naval Hospital. Hepatitis was given as the cause of death; Tye thinks, based on the medical records, that this is wrong, and that McCarthy died of alcohol withdrawal —the D.T.s. Either way, he drank himself to death. He was forty-eight.
How did McCarthy make up for the smallness of the fry he was nabbing?
McCarthy made up for the smallness of the fry he was nabbing by claiming that these people had been hired and promoted by higher-ups who knew all about their Communist connections. Peress, McCarthy announced, was part of “the deliberate Communist infiltration of our Armed Forces.”
Why did McCarthy fire people?
McCarthy forced government agencies, by the constant threat of investigations, to second-guess appointments, and to fire people he had smeared just because he had smeared them. He didn’t need to prove anything, and he almost never did, because it didn’t matter. Your name in McCarthy’s mouth was the kiss of death.
How long did McCarthy's hearings last?
The hearings had lasted a hundred and eighty-seven hours —long enough for McCarthy to make himself sufficiently toxic in the public mind for the Senate to do something about him. A committee was appointed to prepare charges for a vote of censure. In the end, in a classic profile in senatorial courage, the decision was made to “condemn” McCarthy for a single offense, which was not that he had destroyed the careers of dozens of public servants, or that he had used congressional immunity to libel people, but that he had behaved disrespectfully to other senators. The vote was 67–22. Senator John F. Kennedy, whose younger brother Bobby had served on McCarthy’s staff, did not vote. Back trouble, he explained, had prevented him from coming to the floor.
What were Joe McCarthy's character flaws?
Joe McCarthy might have many character flaws, he was a tenacious and ethical bombast, and a bit too enthusiastic. But the facts are that he was pushing for investigations against real subversive elements within our government: the communists had an incredibly large and complex network of agents and collaborators, and it had not only flourished under the administration, but they had done little to stop it. Joe was given real insider information from various real investigations done by the FBI and the State Department, that were being illegally withheld from Congress (and the public). So the Administration was working to suppress any exposure, and would attack anyone that exposed it. Joe found massive incompetence, and an even broader coverup, and his focus was on demonstrating the coverup.
How many pages are there in Joe McCarthy's book?
Much of this info comes from M. Stanton Evans painstakingly documented 600 page book: "The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His fight Against America's Enemies". Though, over the years, I've read quite a few other books, snippets and articles on McCarthy, or the other scandals and players named, Stan's book is one of the best collections of all the data in one place. While it's long, I can't recommend it enough, if you have interest in the technical details of what went on around McCarthy and the Truman/Eisenhower administrations, and want to dive into any of these topics more, it's in there.
Who is Kevin McCarthy?
McCarthy Joins Republicans in Resilient Federal Forests Act. Today, Congressman Kevin McCarthy joined Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman and nearly 70 House Members to introduce the Resilient Federal Forests Act, a bill to help protect our forests and public lands from catastrophic wildfires.
What did Kevin McCarthy say about the Tehachapi Mountains?
Congressman Kevin McCarthy delivered a Floor speech on the VET TEC Expansion Act and the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Act, two bills he introduced this Congress ...
Overview
United States Senate
Senator McCarthy's first three years in the Senate were unremarkable. McCarthy was a popular speaker, invited by many different organizations, covering a wide range of topics. His aides and many in the Washington social circle described him as charming and friendly, and he was a popular guest at cocktail parties. He was far less well liked among fellow senators, however, who found him quick-t…
Early life and education
McCarthy was born in 1908 on a farm in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, the fifth of nine children. His mother, Bridget McCarthy (nee Tierney), was from County Tipperary, Ireland. His father, Timothy McCarthy, was born in the United States, the son of an Irish father and a German mother. McCarthy dropped out of junior high school at age 14 to help his parents manage their farm. He entered Little Wolf High School, in Manawa, Wisconsin, when he was 20 and graduated in one ye…
Career
McCarthy was admitted to the bar in 1935. While working at a law firm in Shawano, Wisconsin, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for district attorney as a Democrat in 1936. During his years as an attorney, McCarthy made money on the side by gambling.
In 1939, McCarthy had better success when he ran for the nonpartisan electe…
Personal life
In 1950, McCarthy assaulted journalist Drew Pearson in the cloakroom at the Sulgrave Club, reportedly kneeing him in the groin. McCarthy, who admitted the assault, claimed he merely "slapped" Pearson. In 1952, using rumors collected by Pearson as well as other sources, Nevada publisher Hank Greenspun wrote that McCarthy was a frequent patron at the White Horse Inn, a Milwaukee gay bar, and cited his involvement with young men. Greenspun named some of McC…
Final years
After his condemnation and censure, Joseph McCarthy continued to perform his senatorial duties for another two and a half years. His career as a major public figure, however, had been ruined. His colleagues in the Senate avoided him; his speeches on the Senate floor were delivered to a near-empty chamber or they were received with intentional and conspicuous displays of inattention. The pr…
Death
McCarthy died in the Bethesda Naval Hospital on Thursday, May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. His death certificate listed the cause of death as "Hepatitis, acute, cause unknown"; previously doctors had not reported him to be in critical condition. It was hinted in the press that he died of alcoholism (cirrhosis of the liver), an estimation that is now accepted by modern biographers. Thomas C. R…
Legacy
William Bennett, former Reagan Administration Secretary of Education, summed up his perspective in his 2007 book America: The Last Best Hope:
The cause of anti-communism, which united millions of Americans and which gained the support of Democrats, Republicans and independents, was undermined by Sen. Joe McCarthy ... McCarthy addressed a real problem: disloyal elements within the U.S. government. But his approach to thi…