McCarthyism's Effect on the Counterculture. To what extent did McCarthyism affect the disillusionment of the government during the 1960s and 1970s?

The 1960s involved espionage on a global scale, along with political and military interference in the internal affairs of lesser powers due to the ongoing battle taking place between the U.S. and the Soviet Union for supremacy. Poor outcomes from some of these activities set the stage for disillusionment with, and distrust of, post-war governments such as the botched U.S. Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba in 1961. In the U.S., President Dwight D. Eisenhower's initial deception over the nature of the 1960 U-2 incident resulted in the government being caught in a blatant lie at the highest levels, and set the stage for a growing distrust of authority among many who came of age during the period. Internal political disagreements concerning treaty obligations in Southeast Asia (SEATO), especially in Vietnam, and debate as to how other communist insurgencies should be handled, also created dissent within the establishment. The assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and doubts as to the validity of the official government findings regarding this event, led to further diminished trust in government, especially among young people. The post war “baby boom” helped to constitute a number of affluent and potentially disaffected people as prospective participants in a rethinking of American society. Widespread use of psychedelic drugs, the influential non-violent civil rights movement, and the media’s near-real-time news coverage of horrific events like “Bloody Sunday” & the Vietnam War served as a catalyst for change in America.

3. Evaluation of Sources

The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy, written by Thomas C. Reeves, is an in-depth biography about Senator Joseph McCarthy, explaining his origins as well as his rise to power as a senator during the 1950s. The purpose of the book is to educate the reader about the senator, not only about his political life, but give a deeper understanding about the different sides of McCarthy as well as the environment that bred the rancorous fellow. The book’s value is that it gives a different perspective about Joseph McCarthy; the book provides a thorough description about the senator’s personality and lifestyle in a non-judgmental way. The limitations of the biography is the length of information; there is so much to go through that it is quite difficult to pick out which information is relevant and what is not.

Social Movements of the 1960s: Searching for Democracy, written by Stewart Burns, is an entire essay about the success and impact of three social movements of the time period: the anti-war movement, the civil rights movement, and the feminist movement. The purpose of the book is to illuminate the connections between the three movements and examine their legacy in terms of personal and social changes as well as limitations and failures. The book’s value is that it gives meticulous information about the origins and reasons for each movement as well as portrays them in a thought-out presentation for the reader to follow. The limitations of this book are that it only gives selective information about each movement.

4. Analysis

Joseph McCarthy’s significance and effect on the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s can definitely be seen. McCarthy’s attack on liberal groups was severe; the communist party dwindled into insignificance and all the organizations associated with it disappeared. The destruction of the front groups and the left-led unions may well have had a more impact on American politics than the decline of the party itself. With their demise, the nation lost institutional network that had created public space where serious alternatives to the status quo could be presented. Moreover, with the disappearance of a vigorous movement on their left, moderate reform groups were more exposed to right-wing attacks and thus rendered less effective. This caused the nation’s democratic ways to be threatened as well as freedom of speech. Once the 1960s rolled around, the youth of the time was tired of the subversion the government had towards intellectual life as well as freedom of expression. The Baby Boomers wanted to fight and gain back once was lost. In addition to these reasons, there was a great deal of distrust towards what information the government was giving to the public and whether it was the truth. This distrust was brought about due to the shattering lies McCarthy said about the “traitors”.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, Joseph McCarthy did have some effect on the disillusionment of the 1960s and 1970s. The fear that McCarthy put into freedom of speech and democratic government was severe, nobody wanted to stand up to the vicious man due to threat of being blacklisted. As such, once the man was found out to be a liar, the American public was stunned and could never fully regain their trust in the government. As the 1960s and 1970s came, corruption came to the government once more though the youth of the time saw what had happened decades ago and did not want a repeat. Rebellion came, to stand up for what was right and what was just.

Works Citied

Burns, Stewart. Social Movements of the 1960s: Searching for Democracy. Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers, 1990.

Dudley, William. The 1960s: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Pr, 1997.

McWilliams, John C. The 1960s Cultural Revolution. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Pub Group, 2000.

Ranzer, Marci. "McCarthyism." Encyclomedia. 30 May 2011. <http://www.encyclomedia.com/mccarthyism.html>.

Reeves, Thomas C. The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy: A Biography. New York, NY: Scarborough House, 1982.

"What were the effects of the McCarthy Witch-hunts in the 1950s?." Learn History. 30 May 2011. <http://www.learnhistory.org.uk/usa/mccarthy.htm>.