TheJointCommitteeon
Un-AmericanActivities
BackgroundGuide
Chairs:
EagleMUNC
BostonCollegeModel
UnitedNations
Conference
MiriamGeorge
[email protected]
CarolineSouthard
[email protected]
Website:
www.EagleMUNC.org
March18-202016
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
COMMITTEETOPICBACKGROUNDGUIDE
Introduction
Hellodelegates,andwelcometoEagleMUNCIV!
MynameisMiriamGeorgeandIamtheChairoftheJointCommitteeonUn-American
Activities.IamcurrentlyasophomoreatBostonCollege,majoringinPoliticalScienceand
HispanicStudies.I'mfromShrewsbury,MA,butIwasoriginallyborninSingaporeandlived
thereforthefirstfewyearsofmylife,whichiswhyItakesuchaninterestinforeigncultures
andinternationalaffairs.AlthoughIonlybeganparticipatinginModelUNwhenIcametoBC,I
havebeenanactivememberofEagleMUNC,aswellasBC’sModelUNtravelteam,forthe
pasttwoyears.
IamparticularlyexcitedtochairtheJointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities(based
ontheHouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee)becauseoftheextenttowhichthishistorical
committeeembodiesandexemplifiesEagleMUNCIV'sthemeof"Liberty&Security".In
committee,wewillgrapplewiththechallengeofeliminatingthethreatofCommunism,both
withinandbeyondAmericanborders,whilesimultaneouslyensuringtheprotectionof
fundamentalAmericanliberties,justastheAmericanpeoplewereforcedtodointhe1950s.
ComepreparedtoimmerseyourselvesintheworldoftheRedScare;yourjobasapublic
officialontheJointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivitiesistotakeactionstoassuagepublic
fearinamannerconsistentwithwhatwaspermissibleunderConstitutionalandfederallawsof
thetime.Thistaskwillnotbeaneasyone—yourcriticalthinkingskillsandingenuitywillbeput
tothetest!
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
IfyouhaveanyquestionsabouttheBackgroundGuideorthecommitteeingeneral,do
nothesitatetoreachouttomeormyco-chair,Caroline,usingtheemailaddresseslistedon
thecoverpage.Goodluckwithyourresearch;welookforwardtomeetingyouatthe
conference!
Best,
MiriamGeorge
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
Hieveryone,
I’mCarolineSouthard,yourco-chairfortheHouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee.I
amafreshmanhereatBostonCollege,andIhaven’tdecidedonmymajoryet,butrightnow
I’dliketostudyEconomics,French,andArtHistory.MyhometownisBuffaloNewYork,andin
highschoolIwasamemberofModelUN,travelingaroundthecountryforconferencesevery
yearandactingasCo-Presidentduringmysenioryear.InternationalRelationsisoneofmy
biggestinterests,sobeingapartofModelUNincollegereallysatiatesmycuriosityaboutand
passionfordiplomacy,research,currentevents,and,inthiscase,history.
Ourcommitteeissetinanincrediblyintenseandprecarioustime,whichmakesitthat
muchmoreinteresting.AsdelegatesinCongress,itisuptoyoutoprotectyourowncitizens-
theirlives,liberty,andfreedom-fromtheimminentthreatofCommunism.Youmustseriously
takeintoaccounttheforeignanddomesticsituationoftheUnitedStatesinthe1950sanduse
yourknowledgeandcriticalthinkingtoconstructresolutionsthatensurestabilityandsecurity.
Pleaseletme,ormychairMiriam,answeranyquestionsthatyoumayhaveinyour
preparationforthisconference,aswellasduringcommittee.Icannotwaittomeetyouallin
March!
Best,
CarolineSouthard
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
HistoricalBackground HUACinsession
AftertheconclusionofWorldWarII,tensionsremainedhighbetweentheUnited
StatesandtheSovietUnion.Thesetensionspeakedintheearly1950swiththeonsetofthe
ColdWar,inwhichtheUnitedStatesattemptedtocurtailthespreadofSovietCommunism
throughnon-violentmeans.DuringtheColdWar,boththeUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion
competedforalliestoexpandtheirworldinfluence.Bothcountriesamassedmilitaryweaponry
andnucleararms,workedtoimprovetheirtechnologicalcapabilities,andparticipatedin
intensiveespionagetogainintelligenceabouttheiropponents.TheColdWarwasaresultof
Americans’fearandoppositiontoCommunism;theCommunistideologywasdirectlyatodds
withdemocracyandcapitalism,twosystemsthattheAmericanpeopleprizedaboveallelse.
Asaresult,anti-Communisthysteriaseizedthepeople,causingthe“RedScare”ofthe1950s.
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
TheHouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee(HUAC)tookontheroleofinvestigating
theAmericanpublicforsignsofdisloyaltyandsubversiveactivityinrelationtoCommunism.
HUACwasfirstfoundedin1938toinvestigatedomesticfascistgroups.However,itbecamea
standingcommitteeoftheHousein1945whenitsserviceswereneededtoaddressthe
loomingthreatofCommunism.HUACinvestigatedandinterrogatedhundredsofAmericansin
ordertodiscoversignsofCommunistassociation,sparkingmuchcontroversyintheprocess.
In1947,PresidentTrumanpassedanexecutiveorderestablishingtheFederal
EmployeeLoyaltyProgram,whichwasdesignedtoidentifyandremoveCommunist
sympathizersworkingintheAmericangovernment.HUACwasthebodythatcarriedoutthese
investigations;loyaltyboardsinterrogatedgovernmentofficialsabouttheirperspectiveson
foreignaffairs,racialequality,andreligion.Asaresultoftheinterrogations,3,000workers
werefiredand11,000resignedbetween1947and1953.Oneofthemostnotablecasesof
HUAC’sextensivegovernmentinterrogationwasthecaseofAlgerHiss.Hiss,ahigh-ranking
U.S.StateDepartmentofficial,wasaccusedofbeingaCommunistspywhosuppliedtheSoviet
UnionwithclassifiedU.S.intelligence.Hissandhisaccuser,WhitakerChambers,wereboth
broughtbeforeHUACtotestifyinapublichearing.Hissdeniedthechargesagainsthim,buthe
waseventuallyconvictedandsentencedtotwoyearsinprison.
AlgerHiss
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
HUAC’sreachextendedbeyondthepoliticalandintothesocialsphereofAmericanlife
aswell.Infact,HUACnotablyinvestigatedtheAmericanfilmindustryforsignsofsubversive
activity.HUACcooperatedwiththeFBIanditsdirector,J.EdgarHoover,toform
entertainmentindustry“blacklists”—listsofHollywoodwriters,directors,andactorswhowere
preventedfromfindingemploymentbecausetheyweresuspectedofbeing“radicals.”Mostof
thepeoplethatHUACaccusedwerefullycooperativewiththecommittee’srequests;they
vehementlydeniedanyinvolvementwithCommunistorganizationsandgaveHUACthe
namesofotherpeoplethattheysuspectedwereCommunists.However,eightscreenwriters
andtwodirectors,laterreferredtoasthe“HollywoodTen”,refusedtorevealtheirpolitical
associations,citingtheirrighttofreespeechprotectionbytheFirstAmendmentas
justification.HUACaccusedtheHollywoodTenofholding“contempt”forCongress,andallten
individualswereeventuallyjailed.
HUACwentontointerviewhundredsofordinaryAmericans,requestingthemtoturnin
friends,coworkers,andevenfamilymemberswhomtheysuspectedofpossessingCommunist
ties.IndividualswhorefusedtoanswerHUAC’squestionswerethreatenedwithimprisonment
ongroundsof“contempt”ofCongress.Teachersandprofessorswererequiredtotake“loyalty
oaths”toensurethattheywerenotteachingstudentsCommunistvalues;theywereunder
constantsurveillance,andmanywereforcedtoquittheirjobsbecausetheyhad
“questionable”pasts.Diplomatsandunionleaderswererequiredtosweartheirloyaltyaswell.
HUAC’sextensiveworkinspiredSenatorJosephMcCarthyofWisconsintotakeupantiCommunisteffortsofhisown;McCarthyaccusedandtriedhundredsofpeopleforbeing
CommunistsduringhistenureaschairmanoftheSenateSubcommitteeonInvestigations.
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
MethodistBishopOxnamtakes
aloyaltyoathbeforeHUAC
CurrentIssues
FearofespionageandCommunistsubversion
Duringthe1950s,AmericansfearedthethreatposedbyCommunistcountriesaround
theworld,buttheyalsofearedthethreatofCommunismwithintheirownborders.Peoplelike
JuliusandEthelRosenbergwerethereasonforthisfear.TheRosenbergswerediscoveredto
besharingconfidentialinformationontheU.S.nuclearprogramwiththeSovietUnion.Asa
result,theywereconvictedbytheU.S.onchargesofespionagein1951,andtheywere
executedin1953.TheiractionsonlyintensifiedthefearofinternalCommunistthreats,andthis
pervasivefearwasthereasonforHUAC’sintensescrutinyofboththepublicandtheprivate
livesoftheAmericanpeople.
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
ViolationofConstitutionalrights
HUACinterrogatedtheAmericanpublicwiththegoalofensuringtheirsafety,but
theseinterrogationssimultaneouslycompromisedthepeoples’Constitutionalrights;during
the1950s,manyAmericansbelievedthattheirpersonallibertieswerebeingcurtailedbythe
government.HUACandotherinvestigativecommitteesofthetimeconvictedmanypeople
withoutsubstantialevidenceofsubversiveactivity,whichcouldbeperceivedasaviolationof
dueprocess,asguaranteedbytheFifthandFourteenthAmendments.Eventhefundamental
FirstAmendmentrightsofthepeoplewereabridgedsincetheywerenotpermittedtoexpress
anyviewsinsupportofCommunism;thisabridgmentwasdemonstratedinthecaseofthe
HollywoodTen.
TheSupremeCourtaddressedHUAC’sbreachofConstitutionallibertiesinthe1959
caseWatkinsv.UnitedStates.HUAChadrequiredJohnWatkins,alabororganizer,todivulge
informationthathepossessedonindividualswhohadoncebelongedtotheCommunistParty,
buthadsinceleftit.However,Watkinsarguedthatthisinformationwasbeyondtheauthority
oftheCommitteeandrefusedtocomplywiththerequest.TheSupremeCourtruledin
Watkins’favor,contendingthatWatkinshadnotbeengivensufficientinformationexplaining
thepertinenceoftheCourt’squestiontotheissueathand,andthus,Watkinscouldnot
accuratelydeterminewhetheritwaswithinhisrightstorefusetoanswer.TheSupremeCourt
viewedHUAC’sactionsasaviolationoftheDueProcessClause.
ProtestagainstHUAC
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
TheinfluenceoftheCommunistParty
TheCommunistPartyUSA(CPUSA)wasestablishedin1919,butitreacheditspeak
membershipinthemid-1940s.However,astheColdWardeveloped,theCPUSAcameunder
attackbyUSgovernmentagencieslikeHUAC;itsmembershipsubsequentlydeclinedas
peoplewereforcedtoturnintheircommunistfriends,familymembers,andneighbors.The
AmericanpubliclargelyopposedandcondemnedtheCommunistParty,andevenliberal
politicalgroupssuchastheAmericansforDemocraticActiondefinedthemselvesasantiCommunist.
In1948,theCPUSAwasexpelledfromtheAmericanFederationofLaborandCongress
ofIndustrialOrganizations(AFL-CIO),renderingitunabletoaffectUSeconomicandpolitical
developmentanylonger.In1949,theFBIprosecutedelevenmembersoftheCPUSA’s
leadershiponthegroundsthattheCPUSAendorsedaviolentoverthrowoftheUS
government;allelevenmemberswerefoundguiltyandeachwassentencedtofiveyearsin
federalprison.Encouragedbytheirsuccess,governmentprosecutorsarrestedandconvicted
overonehundredadditionalCPUSAofficersintheearly1950s.Congressfinallydetermined
thattheCommunistParty“shouldbeoutlawed”intheCommunistControlActof1954.
Publicopinion
1950wasanelectionyearintheUnitedStates,whichmeantthatpublicofficials,
includingthoseinHUAC,hadtobecognizantofpublicopinionwhenmakingdecisions.The
NewYorkTimesreportedin1950thatthefourmajorelectiontopicsofthatyearwere(1)the
KoreanWar,(2)theCommunistthreatathomeandabroad,(3)theFairDeal,and(4)efficiency
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
ingovernment.Asaresult,themembersofHUACbasedtheirdecisions,inlargepart,onthe
Americanpublic’sdisagreementwithanddistrustofCommunism.HUACactedwithzealto
eliminateallCommunistthreatswithinUSborders,justifyingitsexcessiveuseofpoweras
necessaryfortheprotectionoftheAmericanpeople.HUACofficialsmerelybelievedthatthey
werecarryingoutthewishesofthepublicinsanitizingtheUSofallCommunistinfluences.
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
WorksCited
"1950s:TheTeachersUnionThatCameinFromtheColdWar."CaliforniaFederationof
Teachers.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Nov.2015.
"AlgerHiss."PBS.PBS,n.d.Web.20Nov.2015.
"HouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee."HouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee.N.p.,
n.d.Web.20Nov.2015.
"JuliusandEthelRosenberg(d1953)."JuliusandEthelRosenberg.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Nov.
2015.
"ThePermanentStandingHouseCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities|USHouseof
Representatives:History,Art&Archives."History,Art,andArchives.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Nov.
2015.
"RedScare."History.com.A&ETelevisionNetworks,n.d.Web.20Nov.2015.
Wall,Wendy."Anti-Communisminthe1950s."TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmerican
History.N.p.,n.d.Web.
"WatkinsVs.UnitedStatesAudio."Oyez.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Nov.2015.
Images:
http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/tsminteractive.com/files/2012/10/huac.jpeg
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/january/a-byte-out-of-history-the-alger-hissstory/image/alger-hiss
http://skepticism-images.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images/jreviews/oxnamhouse-un-american.jpg
JointCommitteeonUn-AmericanActivities
https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/236x/e9/16/0b/e9160b40a1e8a8640c98e131f4a8728c.jpg
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-passes-communist-control-act
https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/02/01/home/nixon-issues.html