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Senator Joseph Mccarthy Dbq Analysis

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Throughout Senator Joseph McCarthy’s political career, he uncovered many “Communists” in the United States Government (Doc 1). During this time he gained supporters and quite a few enemies. President Harry S. Truman was among the people who disagreed with Senator McCarthy’s methods and complete devotion to ridding the nation’s government of Communists (Doc 2).

Among the opposition of Senator McCarthy, he also had many fellow Senators who disagreed with him. Senator Margaret Chase Smith reminded McCarthy and other Senators, that they were sworn to uphold the Constitution and the Constitution guaranteed a trial by jury not that of by accusation (Doc 3). Senator Smith also alluded to the fact that McCarthy was infringing on American’s freedom of speech, by making them afraid to speak their mind lest they be coined a “Communist” …show more content…
A Boston lawyer by the name of Joseph Welch spoke out against McCarthy by saying, “I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness” (Doc 6). This heated exchange between Welch and McCarthy was nationally televised on June 9th 1954 (Doc 6).

Some Americans thought that the “I have here in my hand” lists were actually fakes (Doc 8). While some very well may have been true, it is highly unlikely that all of the people Senator McCarthy persecuted were in fact Communist party insurgents. In November 1954 McCarthy accused the chairman of the Select Comitee to Study Censure Charges, Mr. Watkins this was one of the many downfalls of Senator Joseph McCarthy (Doc 9). Mr.Watkins promptly held a public press conference and brought these accusations to the light of the public (Doc 9).

While Senator McCarthy indeed did find and prosecute a number of Communist government workers, he also brought fear to the American public by tormenting them with idea of the United States Government being overrun by Communist

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