About the lecture

In this module, we think about McCarthyism, focusing in particular on: (i) the nature of the ‘Red Scare’ prior to McCarthy; (ii) the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and the Hollywood Ten; (iii) the case of Alger Hiss; (iv) the factors behind McCarthy’s extraordinary rise – support from the grassroots and support from key establishment figures such as J. Edgar Hoover and (inadvertently) Truman himself; (v) the change in McCarthy’s fortunes after the election of Eisenhower in 1952; and (vi) the impact of McCarthyism on the lives on ordinary Americans.

About the lecturer

Mark White is Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London, specialising in US foreign policy in the Cold War and the US presidency since 1945. His recent publications include Against the President: Dissent and Decision-Making in the White House (2007) and The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy (2012)