Joseph Raymond McCarthy, born 14 November 1908, rose from a rather unremarkable early political career to become one of the most prominent figures in the anti-communist scare following Cold War tensions of the 1950s. His actions led to what some historians now refer to as the Second Red Scare.
As a Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957, Joseph McCarthy made several statements that the federal government was filled with Soviet spies and communists. According to Senator McCarthy, communists had infiltrated the United States army, President Truman’s administration, and the State Department. Even though McCarthy had no evidence to substantiate his allegations, his claims resulted in several prominent officials losing their employment and suffering irreparable damage to their careers.
The term “McCarthyism” is often used to describe this tumultuous and fearful time in U.S. history, although the phrase doesn’t necessary refer to the actions of Joseph McCarthy alone. At the high of his popularity, Joseph McCarthy’s activities were supported by the American Legion, the Minute Women of the U.S.A., the American Public Relations Forum, and a number of prominent Christian fundamentalists. Senator McCarthy was also a close friend of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
However, support for Joseph McCarthy dropped quickly after the televised Army-McCarthy hearings in early 1954. Although he was cleared of pressuring the army to give favorable treatment to one of his former aides, the hearings made him appear reckless and dishonest to many voters. Shortly after, Edward R. Morrow’s documentary See it Now added to the backlash by publicly attacking Senator McCarthy’s methods as reprehensible smear tactics.
In December 1954, the Senate voted to censure Joseph McCarthy by a vote of 67 to 22. This was a highly unusual form of discipline at the time, since the Senate had invoked a censure on only three previous occasions. After the censure, Joseph McCarthy continued with his political duties but was essentially ostracized by his Senate colleagues. Soon, his personal struggles with alcoholism and depression intensified. Senator McCarthy died of cirrhosis and acute hepatitis on 2 May 1957 at the age of 48.
Over the years, Joseph McCarthy’s political career has made its way into American pop culture. The 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate features Senator John Iselin, a character closely based on Joseph McCarthy, and archival footage of Senator McCarthy’s speeches appears in the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck . In addition, R.E.M. recorded a song in 1987 called “Exhuming McCarthy.”