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Difficulty: EasyDomestic Cold War and the Second Red Scare

Source: Senator Joseph McCarthy, speech at Wheeling, West Virginia, February 9, 1950

"Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and democratic Christianity... The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because our only powerful, potential enemy has sent men to invade our shores, but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this Nation... In my opinion the State Department, which is one of the most important departments of our government, is thoroughly infested with Communists."

The rhetoric in the excerpt is most closely associated with which of the following post-World War II developments?

  1. The rise of the Second Red Scare and widespread investigations into suspected domestic subversionAnswer
  2. B
    The creation of Great Society programs designed to combat domestic poverty and inequality
  3. C
    The rapid escalation of direct military interventions to enforce containment in Southeast Asia
  4. D
    The formation of rural agrarian coalitions to protest corporate and political corruption

Answer

The rise of the Second Red Scare and widespread investigations into suspected domestic subversion
The correct answer is correct because Senator Joseph McCarthy's rhetoric in the Wheeling speech directly fueled the Second Red Scare, a period of heightened domestic fear of communism where federal employees, educators, and entertainment industry workers were investigated for suspected subversion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document, noting key terms like 'communistic atheism,' 'traitorous actions,' and the accusation that the 'State Department is thoroughly infested with Communists.'
Identify that the document describes domestic fears of communist subversion within the United States government during the post-World War II period.
Understanding the core message of the source is necessary to link it to the correct historical context.
2
Evaluate the choices to find the development that aligns with fears of internal subversion and McCarthy's accusations.
Connect the senator's accusations of internal subversion with the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism.
This step directly matches the historical development of domestic anticommunism to the rhetoric in the speech.

Key Concept

The Second Red Scare was characterized by widespread fear of communist infiltration in American institutions and government, led by figures like Senator Joseph McCarthy.
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Topics

Domestic Cold War and the Second Red Scare

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