How was this 1950s "Red Scare" era similar to the one at the end of and immediately following World War I? How was it different?
During the second “Red Scare” in the 1950’s, the term “McCarthyism” became associated with this time period due to the heightened fear of the communist influence on American Institutions and the threat of espionage by Soviet agents. The term was brought about by criticism of United States Senator Joseph McCarthy’s intense opposition to communism. This second “Red Scare” was much different than the first “Red Scare” of the 1920’s. The first “Red Scare” violence was a precedent instead of accusations and investigations. During the second coming of the “Red Scare”, thousands of America citizens were accused of being communist or sympathetic to communism. These people were subject to questioning by government agents and intense investigations. Primarily, government employees themselves were targeted, as well as educators. Many people lost their jobs as a result of these investigations. In contrast to the events of the second “Red Scare”, what happened was not at all unlike the Salem Witch Trials, in which the phrase “witch-hunt” was coined.
During this period, one singular event comes to mind that affected the fears of the typical American. The FBI was able to link an American couple to United States Army Sergeant David Greenglass, who was an admitted spy for the Soviet government, providing them with information about the atomic bomb.