What is McCarthyism? Basically, McCarthyism was the practice of attempting to minimize the threat of communism by accusing and detaining suspects deemed to be a security threat or disloyal to the United States. Investigations ranged from the federal government, to Hollywood, to the general American public.
Beginning in 1950, they targeted individuals within the United States who were suspected communists. Their witch hunt began at the federal level. They accused individuals, such as General George Marshall, who served both as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under Truman, and Secretary of State Dean Acheson of supporting communism. They targeted the United States Army and, eventually, President Truman himself when they made the decision to remove General Douglas MacArthur from power during the Korean War.
McCarthyism's search eventually trickled down to the ground level as they began attacking artists, musicians, writers and movie stars. Names you might recognize include individuals such as Charlie Chaplin, Langston Hughes, Pete Seeger, J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. They contended that all of these individuals worked within communist organizations and/or belonged to the Communist Party of America. Additionally, their wanton accusations often led to those who were not famous and worked in the private sector being ostracized from their respective profession.
Don't those two theories look very much alike to you?
McCarthy was a Republican senator from Wisconsin and was the leader behind the ethos of McCarthyism. The term was created in 1950 by Washington Post writer Herbert Block.