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Lesson Four: Senator McCarthy and the Press

Reason Triumphs Over Passion

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Lesson Four: Senator McCarthy and the Press - Reason Triumphs Over Passion - Lessons - Life Stories Interviews

Courtesy of Dunkirk Evening Observer

Essential Questions

*What factors, and which voices, shape our understanding of the McCarthy-era Communist scare? 

*What evidence do historians draw from in order to create a historical argument?

*How does this case study support Jon Meacham’s thesis about the “soul of America?”

In this lesson, students will study the rise and fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy in order to illuminate the relationships between the people of the United States, the press, and Congressional leadership. In 1950, within the context of the House Un-American Committee’s investigations to root out Communist influences in America, Senator McCarthy began a campaign that fanned popular fears by claiming he had evidence that Communists were infiltrating the U.S. State Department. Making false accusations, he gained power and notoriety, and also ruined the reputations and careers of many innocent people. Those who questioned him became targets of his devastating investigations. The profound bravery of a few strong individuals willing to speak out in the press and in Congress finally brought his conspiracy-fueled and sensationalistic campaign to an end in 1954. 

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Lesson Objectives

Students will:

*Critically view documentary film clips and interview segments

*Analyze primary source materials as historical evidence to research the McCarthy Era

*Articulate the complex relationships between the government, the people, and the press

*Connect what they learn about the history of the rise and fall of Joseph McCarthy to a current event

Historical Context
It is important to situate the McCarthy Era (1950–54) within the context of other domestic and international events occurring during this period. Students can examine these influential factors by listening to additional interview segments compiled in the making of The Soul of America, and by reading relevant source materials identified for this topic. 

Fear of Communism After the First and Second World Wars

Lesson 4, Clip 1: Jon Meacham, The Red Scare of 1919–20 and the demonization of the other 

Primary Resource: “Pointing Their Pens: Herblock and Fellow Cartoonists Confront the Issues: The Red Scare” https://loc.gov/exhibits/pointing-their-pens-editorial-cartoons/red-scare.html

The House Un-American Activities Committee 

The Truman Library Archive: Background information: https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/house-un-american-activities-committee

Primary Resources Document Set: https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/public/2019-03/HUAC_DocumentSet.pdf 

The Role of the Press in a Democracy

Lesson 4, Clip 2: Jon Meacham, Attacks on the press during times of fear, and the five elements that shape an era.

Lesson 4, Clip 3: Jon Meacham, The role of changing technology 

Materials:

*Equipment to screen the video segments

*Film Clip 4, The Soul of America - The McCarthy Era

*Copies of Handouts

Handout 1: Note Catcher - McCarthy Era

Handout 2: The Rise of McCarthy Resources

Handout 3: The Fall of McCarthy Resources

Length: One 55-minute class period

1. OPENING

Do a quick classroom poll: 

*Where do you get your news about what is happening in the world?

*Ask a few volunteers to share more about their choice:

    -Why do you choose that source? 

    -Do you trust what you hear from it? Why or why not?

    -If you hear something surprising or suspicious, how do you go about checking to see if it’s true?

*As a large group, discuss:

   - Why does reading the news matter?

   - What is the role of journalism in our society?    

2. ANALYZING THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOUL OF AMERICA

Watch Film Clip 4: The Soul of America - The McCarthy Era (4:49) and an Interview Segment with Jon Meacham. Ask the students to use Handout 1: Note Catcher - McCarthy Era to help students watch the film clip actively and with critical eyes.

Interview Segment: Clip 5: Jon Meacham "The Fall of McCarthyism and Lesson of the McCarthy Era"

After watching the clip and the interview segments, offer students a few minutes to finish the questions on their note catchers.

Handout 1: Note Catcher - McCarthy Era

What were the McCarthy investigations about?

How does Senator McCarthy use the press to his advantage?

What is Senator McCarthy’s motivation?

Why is he able to stay in power as long as he does?

What arguments do the journalists use against McCarthy:

 Palmer Hoyt:

 Edward R. Murrow:

What brought about the end of the McCarthy Era?

3. ANALYZING HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

In order to further analyze the historical evidence presented in the film, students will view excerpts from the Interview Archive and other primary resources to investigate one of the suggested topics. 

As students are reviewing the primary resources ask them to assess the historical evidence using the following questions as guidance:  

*Where and when is the evidence from?

*Who wrote or produced it?

*Why was it produced?

*Do we know anything about the context in which it was produced?

Students will learn more about the arc of McCarthy’s rise to power and eventual Senate censure, using historical evidence that they will present back to the class on the following questions: 

What did you learn in your investigations that deepens or changes your understanding of the McCarthy Era? 

What did you learn in your investigations that sheds a new or different light on the relationship between the government, the press, and the people?

As they conduct their research, encourage students to record data such as an author’s citations and the names of other people, places, or events mentioned, and use those to further their research. 

Note: The suggested evidence for each topic is meant as an introduction, and students are encouraged to use what they learn to seek out further evidence and information.

The Rise of McCarthy (First two documents included in Handout Two)

*Document: Senator Joseph McCarthy’s “Enemies from Within,” Wheeling, WV February 9, 1950

*Document: The President’s News Conference at Key West, Key West, FL, March 30, 1950

*Document: Margaret Chase Smith, “Declaration of Conscience,” Floor of the Senate, June 1, 1950 

The Fall of McCarthy (First Two Included in Handout Three)

*Audio + Transcript: Edward R. Murrow on CBS’ See It Now, April 13, 1954

*Article about Palmer Hoyt’s series of speeches against McCarthy: https://extras.denverpost.com/opinion/persp0206a.htm

*Document: Committee Report on the Censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy, November 8, 1954 

4. EXIT TICKET: ECHOES AND CONNECTIONS TO TODAY

Discuss as a class or assign as a short reflective writing assignment:

How does the McCarthy Era support Jon Meacham’s historical argument about the soul of America? In his interview on McCarthy John Meacham observes, “McCarthy sold papers. He was a good story.” What does this idea reveal about the relationship between the press and politics? How do you think the era influenced the way journalism operates today?

Resources

HANDOUT 1: Note Catcher - McCarthy Era
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HANDOUT 2: The Rise of McCarthy Resources
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HANDOUT 3: The Fall of McCarthy
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College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

D1.5.9-12. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of view represented in the sources, the types of sources available, and the potential uses of the sources.

D2.Civ.6.9-12. Critique relationships among governments, civil societies, and economic markets

D2.Civ.8.9-12. Evaluate social and political systems in different contexts, times, and places, that promote civic virtues and enact democratic principles

D2.Civ.10.9-12. Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights and human rights

D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.

D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context

D2.His.4.9-12. Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.

D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.

D2.His.6.9-12. Analyze the ways in which the perspectives of those writing history shaped the history that they produced.

D2.His.7.9-12. Explain how the perspectives of people in the present shape interpretations of the past.

D2.His.8.9-12. Analyze how current interpretations of the past are limited by the extent to which available historical sources represent perspectives of people at the time.

D2.His.9.9-12. Analyze the relationship between historical sources and the secondaryinterpretations made from them.

D2.His.11.9-12. Critique the usefulness of historical sources for a specific historical inquiry based on their maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose.

D2.His.12.9-12. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.

D2.His.13.9-12. Critique the appropriateness of the historical sources used in a secondary interpretation.

D2.His.14.9-12. Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.

D2.His.15.9-12. Distinguish between long-term causes and triggering events in developing a historical argument.

D2.His.16.9-12. Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.

D2.His.17.9-12. Critique the central arguments in secondary works of history on related topics in multiple media in terms of their historical accuracy.

D3.1.9-12. Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

D3.2.9-12. Evaluate the credibility of a source by examining how experts value the source.

D3.3.9-12. Identify evidence that draws information directly and substantively from multiple sources to detect inconsistencies in evidence in order to revise or strengthen claims.

D3.4.9-12. Refine claims and counterclaims attending to precision, significance, and knowledge conveyed through the claim while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both

D4.1.9-12. Construct arguments using precise and knowledgeable claims, with evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging counterclaims and evidentiary weaknesses.

D4.2.6-8. Construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples, and details with relevant information and data, while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the explanations.

D4.2.9-12. Construct explanations using sound reasoning, correct sequence (linear or non-linear), examples, and details with significant and pertinent information and data, while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the explanation given its purpose (e.g., cause and effect, chronological, procedural, technical).

D4.3.9-12. Present adaptations of arguments and explanations that feature evocative ideas and perspectives on issues and topics to reach a range of audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies (e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital documentary).

D4.4.9-12. Critique the use of claims and evidence in arguments for credibility.

D4.5.9-12. Critique the use of the reasoning, sequencing, and supporting details of explanations

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