The search for communists in the federal government in the 1950s was lead by Senator Joe McCarthy.
Joe McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin, believed that the federal government had been infiltrated by communist spies. McCarthy claimed that he had a list of 207 people who were known communists and who were working in the State Department for the US. These claims of communist sparked fear by the federal government and American citizens. This lead to wild accusations, unfair proceedings, and intimidation by Congressmen. This era became known as the Second Red Scare and the forceful and outrageous claims made by Joe McCarthy became known as McCarthyism.
