A Comparative Study of the Red Scare in the 1920s with the McCarthy

A Comparative Study of the Red Scare and the McCarthy Era

Ms. Martinetti/ Ms. Silverman

Evander Childs High School

Era of the 1950s and the lessons we can apply to the war on terrorism.

Webquest project for American History 2

Introduction

The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the hegemonic communist worldwide agenda that ensued known as the Comintern instilled fear in the United States government. By the 1920s the Red Scare would lead to suspicion and the targeting of specific groups such as labor leaders, anarchists, socialists and foreign nationals. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer led raids on

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer (Sacco & Vanzetti)

suspected criminals and the sensational Sacco and Vanzetti Court case increased hostility toward non-English speaking foreigners. During the Roaring 20s there were also race riots, bombings and strikes in the United States. By the 1950s, the Cold War had mapped out a different world order in which two Superpowers, the United States and the former U.S.S.R. competed for control of the world. At home Senator Joseph McCarthy used the House Un-American Activities Committee which was set up in 1938 to blacklist and bring to trial suspected communists in the government and in the entertainment industry. The Rosenberg and Hiss cases were examples of the measures taken to expose spying. Today we are faced with new domestic threats from an unseen enemy called terrorism in the wake of the New World Order with the collapse of communism in Russia. The 9/11 terrorist bombings on U.S. soil marks a turning point in American history. What lessons can we learn from history and how can we apply those lessons to the threat of Islamic Fundamentalism and terrorism at home?

Task/Project:

1. Students will write about the similarities and differences between the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Students will also apply the lessons learned from this time period to the present war on terrorism.

2. Students will be assigned the due date for the project in class.

3. Students are required to research and type a 5 page paper using the internet.

4. Students will examine the reasons there was fear about the spread of communism in the 1920s and during the McCarthy era.

5. Students will examine the response by the U.S. government to this domestic threat during the Red Scare of the 1920s and during the McCarthy era.

6. Students will make an oral presentation in the class no longer than 10 minutes in duration.

7. Students will use the PPA method and complete all worksheets so that you will be able to gather background information for this task.

Process

1. You will be divided into groups of 3 or 4. Students will be given a group grade and an individual grade for the work. Students will clearly identify what each individual contributed to the project.

2. To do your search follow the public policy steps found at the TIPS website.

3. You can also use other sources such as newspapers, videos, documentaries, books and worksheets.

4. Identify the problem (s) in the United States during the Red Scare and the McCarthy era.

5. Gather the evidence for the problem (s).

6. Find the causes for the problems in the United States during the Red Scare and the McCarthy era.

7. Evaluate the public policies of the Attorney General Palmer and Senator J. McCarthy.

8. Answer the worksheets, starting with “Defining the Problem” using complete sentences.

Resources

Use the following general websites:

Specific sites

www.historyplace.com\

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/ppa/intro.htm

www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/welcome

http://newman.barach.cuny.edu/digital/red scare/default.htm

http://ns.headroyce.org/^US.2001/jonahk/media.html

www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/ HIS122/Palmer.jpg

www.evesmag.com/ winchell.htm

www.hofstra.edu/images/ cul_sv.jpg

http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1302805.html

Evaluation

The following Rubric will be used to judge your project:

	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectations	Does Not Meet Expectations	Score
Points Earned	3	2	1 or 0
Factual Information	All information correct	Most information correct	Little or no information correct
Variety of Sources	Excellent variety of sources; excellent use of relevant materials	Adequate number of sources; adequate use of relevant materials	Inadequate number of sources; inadequate use of relevant materials
Discussion/Detail	Excellent discussion/detail	Adequate discussion/detail	Vague/shallow discussion/detail
Depth of Insight/Analysis	Impressive depth of insight/analysis	Adequate depth of insight/analysis	Unexceptional insight/analysis
Form and Style	Effective introduction	Adequate introduction	Weak or missing introduction
Conclusion	Effective conclusion	Adequate conclusion	Weak or missing conclusion
Organization	Clear organization	Adequate organization	Confusing or weak organization
Transitions	Smooth transitions	Adequate transitions	Awkward or missing transitions
Spelling and Grammar		Correct grammar; no spelling mistakes	Incorrect grammar; many spelling mistakes
References in Footnotes and Bibliography		Correctly credits references	Incorrectly credits references or credits missing
			TOTAL SCORE

Conclusion

After you are done with this power point, you will be able to see the reasons why the United States responded to the spread of communism during the Red Scare and the McCarthy era in the manner in which the government did. You should now realize the importance of studying public policy in terms of American history. How can we learn to fight terrorism and the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism today in the U.S. by applying the lessons learned from the struggles against the spread of communism?

Standards

Standard 2

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Standard 4

Students should develop the skills of historical analysis which include the ability to investigate differing and competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time, explain the importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.

New York State English Language Arts Standards

1. Students will read and write for information and understanding

2. Students will read and write for literary response and expression.

3. Students will read and write for critical analysis and evaluation.

4. Students will speak and listen for social interaction.