Philip Jenkins. Cold War at Home: The Red Scare in Pennsylvania 1945-1960. Chapel Hill and
London, England: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. 271 pp. $49.95 (cloth), $18.95
(paper), ISBN 978-0-8078-2498-6.
Reviewed by Kenneth C. Wolensky (Division of History, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission, Harrisburg)
Published on H-Pol (February, 2000)
Communism and Anti-Communism in the Keystone State, 1945-1960
Pennsylvania State University professor Philip Jenkins provides a sweeping analysis and discussion of Communism and anti-Communism in Pennsylvania during
the height of United States and Soviet post-World War
II tensions in his book Cold War at Home. At the outset the author explains why the history of Pennsylvania’s
’Red Scare’ is an important part of the broader history of
Cold War politics and tensions in the United States: the
Keystone State was a major industrial powerhouse with
longstanding traditions of radicalism and conservatism.
Therefore, it provided fertile territory for Communists
and anti-Communists alike. The author’s thesis is novel.
It has not been explored in any great depth by anyone to
date. The evidence presented by Jenkins and the organization of the book add credibility to his arguments.
ican society.
Jenkins examines Communist influences and reactions in several arenas. These include the labor movement, teaching and academic professions, ethnic communities, religious groups and organizations, and state politics. It is clear from his discussion, which relies heavily
on relevant primary and secondary sources, that Pennsylvania experienced its share of the post-World War II
Red Scare. And, the story made sensational headlines.
Though the anti-Communist crusade in Pennsylvania can
be understood within the national context of anxiety and
fear, the consequences, Jenkins concludes, were not far
reaching or long lasting. Pennsylvania historiography
barely mentions accounts of the period. Yet, the crusade
did successfully weaken the Communist party, discredited those who were associated with it, and, though unfortunate as it may seem, ruined many careers, reputations, and livelihoods.
Jenkins points out that Communism had been a fringe
movement in Pennsylvania in the 1920s. By the Depression it enjoyed remarkable growth. Yet, total membership in the Communist Party likely never exceeded
6,000. Anti-left rhetoric, on the other hand, could trace its
roots to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
when labor upheavals – a frequent occurrence in Pennsylvania’s industrial environment – were often blamed
on radical forces. Such rhetoric increased during the
anti-Bolshevik panic of 1919-20 and, later, during the Depression. A more formalized anti-Communist crusade
emerged in the post-World War II era against a backdrop
of heightened national concerns over red infiltration of
organized labor, government, and other sectors of Amer-
Among the greatest strengths of this book are its
readability and its critically important contributions to
the broader history of the Cold War. Moreover, the book
makes an important contribution to growing historical
scholarship on Pennsylvania (and American) ethnic, labor, social, and political history. Another strength is its
use of important primary sources including records from
the House Un-American Activities Committee’s investigation of communist activities in Philadelphia, papers of
the Pennsylvania Department of the American Legion,
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and presidential papers from the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. Finally, the organization of the book is to its credit. Topical chapters, such
as Saving Labor and The Struggle for Ethnic Communities neatly organize the story and provide an excellent
backdrop for the finale which analyzes the broader impact of the Communist and anti-Communist movements
in Pennsylvania.
crusaders in the war against Communists. At the opposite end of the spectrum was radical activist Steve Nelson, an important figure in twentieth century Pennsylvania history and a leading proponent of an alternative
economic system, particularly in the depths of the Great
Depression and, later, in the postwar years; a photo of
Nelson would also have been useful. Finally, a map of
the state would have been extremely helpful to those unfamiliar with Pennsylvania’s geography.
The book could be strengthened in a few ways,
though. First, it should have been rooted in a broader
historiography of the Cold War. While its intentions are
clear in focusing exclusively on Pennsylvania, the reader
does not really come away with any intellectual understanding of Cold War literature and where this work fits
into such historiography. Second, the author could have
included a few photo images that would bring some of
the central actors to life. For example, an image of antiCommunist Judge Michael Angelo Musmanno would be
helpful as he was one of the Commonwealth’s leading
In sum, Cold War at Home is highly recommended for
scholars and students of this important period in American history. It is also likely to be useful for those interested in studies of ethnicity, labor, and politics in a state
that has had its share of a controversial past.
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Citation: Kenneth C. Wolensky. Review of Jenkins, Philip, Cold War at Home: The Red Scare in Pennsylvania 19451960. H-Pol, H-Net Reviews. February, 2000.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=3782
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