Why huac was created

Martin Dies Jr. In and it investigated alleged Communist Party influence in Hollywood and the motion picture industry. As a result of these and subsequent hearings, nearly actors and others employed in the movie industry were blacklisted or prevented from working. Such refusal was often taken as tantamount to guilt, and many individuals were cited for contempt of Congress.

Others did testify. Among them was noted film director Elia Kazan, who named numerous people who he believed were communist sympathizers, and they too were blacklisted. HUAC fed off the hysteria of the cold war and anti-communism, paving the way for Sen. The threat of Communism was a driving force that created a wedge between society and the United States government. During this time period the lines of civil liberties and national security began to blur, and U. Some Americans felt that their personal freedoms were being taken away, while others believed HUAC and McCarthyism were necessary to secure national security.

Believing that current Communist leaders were taking the party, and China itself, in the wrong direction, Mao called on the Along with Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, Mao is considered one of the most significant communist figures of the Live TV.

This Day In History. History Vault. The Cold War: Investigating the Red Menace Upon its formation in , the official role of the House Un-American Activities Committee was to investigate Communist and fascist organizations that had become active during the Great Depression , though it also examined the activities of other groups on the political left.

Subpoenas and Blacklists The committee employed several controversial methods to accomplish its goal of ferreting out suspected Communists. Recommended for you. The Hollywood 10 Placed on Blacklist. Hollywood Ten. Army-McCarthy Hearings.

Domino Theory The domino theory was a Cold War policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in neighboring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominos.

Edgar Hoover J. Joseph McCarthy During the late s and early s, the prospect of communist subversion at home and abroad seemed frighteningly real to many people in the United States. Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution was launched in China in by Communist leader Mao Zedong in order to reassert his authority over the Chinese government. In , the committee investigated leaders of the American Youth Congress, a Communist International affiliate organization.

The committee also put together an argument for the internment of Japanese Americans known as the "Yellow Report". Organized in response to rumors of Japanese Americans being coddled by the War Relocation Authority WRA and news that some former inmates would be allowed to leave camp and Nisei soldiers to return to the West Coast, the committee investigated charges of fifth column activity in the camps.

A number of anti-WRA arguments were presented in subsequent hearings, but Director Dillon Myer debunked the more inflammatory claims. The investigation was presented to the 77th Congress and alleged that certain cultural traits Japanese loyalty to the Emperor, the number of Japanese fishermen in the US, and the Buddhist faith — were evidence for Japanese espionage.

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