ABSTRACT

On the surface, the 1950s appeared to be a period of great prosperity and tranquility in the US. In many ways this was true. Americans had survived the ravages of World War II. Those who returned to a normal life were realizing the American dream-starting families, owning a TV, a car, and a house in suburbia, and perhaps profiting from a college education funded by the GI Bill for those

who had served in the armed forces. However, beneath this rosy surface lay the beginnings of a cold war, essentially a battle between democracy (the US) and communism, represented by Russia and the Iron Curtain communist bloc countries. Many actors, writers, and artists were victimized for their freethinking ideas and blacklisted by the radical conservative Senator Joseph McCarthy. The growing cold war fueled anti-communist sentiments, and McCarthy was the most vocal advocate for democracy. He singlehandedly led a crusade to rid the country of all suspected communists or, worse, anyone who spoke of liberal ideas freely. Many artists, actors, and writers were blacklisted because of mere accusations about communist sympathies, and McCarthyism ran unchecked, ruining careers for some time.