ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with a better understanding of the political, social, and legal dynamics that played a role in the persecution and cancelling of Communist leaders and other citizens in the United States during the McCarthy era. In particular, I outline four factors that need to be taken into account to adequately make sense of this grim period of American history: the Truman Loyalty Program; various laws that were designed to restrict the freedoms of those who opposed the government of the United States; the hearings organized by McCarthy and other Congressional committees to target Communist groups and individuals; and finally, the role that J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI played in the surveillance and punishment of American Communists. Following the analysis of these key factors, I feature two case studies of individuals persecuted during the McCarthy era in order to personalize the consequences faced by actual people. I conclude this chapter by reflecting on the legal and political legacy of the McCarthy era, a legacy that negatively impacted the United States for years thereafter.
