Question

The quote below is from a Declaration of Conscience written by Senator Margaret Chase Smith in the 1950s: "Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism . . . are all too frequently those who . . . ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism-the right to criticize, the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, the right of independent thought. . . . Freedom of speech . . . has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others." In this quote, Smith is condemning which of the following?

Answer 1

The correct answer is McCarthyism.

During the 1950's, America was paranoid about communism spreading into the United States. These fears were escalated thanks to the claims made by Senator Joe McCarthy. McCarthy gave several speeches all over the country talking about how he had a list of communists with the US government, military, and other facets of American life. These claims ruined peoples lifes, as many Americans were forced to report to the House Un-American Activities Committee in order to be questioned by Congress.

This type of bullying and blacklisting individuals was infringing on the rights guaranteed to Americans in the Bill of Rights. This statement is the core argument of Margaret Chase Smith's denunciation of McCarthyism.