Artists Protest McCarthyism - Part 1

Artists Protest McCarthyism - Part 1

Essential Question

How were musicians and artists affected by McCarthyism in 1950s America?

Review

Open Ended

In your own words, describe the difference between protest and resistance.

Share your definition with your neighbor

Multiple Choice

Select the issue that was NOT protested in the Fifties and Sixties.

• Women's Rights

• Civil Rights

• Internet Privacy

• Antiwar

Protest vs. Resistance

Inciting people to actively resist a system, person, or action.

Resistance

Expressing disapproval of a system, person, or action.

Protest

Issues in the 1950s and 1960s

1. The "Red Scare" and the Cold War

2. Women's Rights

3. Civil Rights

4. Migrant Worker Rights and Immigration

5. The Antiwar Movement

6. The Counterculture Movement

Background

The so-called “Protest Era” in the United States is largely associated with the Civil Rights movement and anti-war demonstrations of the 1960s. But the roots of the protest era, and even some of the songs associated with it, came out of the late 1940s, during the early years of the Cold War.

In the Fifties, Rock and Roll was viewed mostly as entertainment. As the "Protest Era" began music began to be seen as a way for American youth to express their disapproval.

At this point, rock and roll music becomes an art form equal to classical music.

Multiple Choice

In the "Protest Era", rock and roll music became a means for American youth to express their...

• Joy

• Disapproval

• Compliance

• Complacency

The "Red Scare"

• By 1945, America's relationship with the Soviet Union (who was its ally during World War II) was strained

• The Soviets had also developed nuclear weapons and were building up their stock

• The Soviets had begun to expand their influence across Eastern Europe.

• America viewed the Soviets as a new threat to world peace. Their system of Communism was also considered a threat to the economic boom of the postwar era. This is the beginning of the Cold War

• In America, there was a "red scare". This was a fear and suspicion of the Soviets, who were viewed as a threat

McCarthyism

At the center of the Red Scare was Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, who by 1950 had become the face of a national campaign to identify communists in American society. McCarthy enflamed America’s uneasiness about Soviet power. “McCarthyism,” as his crusade became known, emerged from the worry many Americans shared that the Soviets might drop an atomic bomb on U.S. soil, a threat that led communities to practice air raid drills in preparation for an attack. But McCarthyism also fed off the anxiety that communist ideas could infiltrate the hearts and minds of American citizens.

Understanding Political Systems

Define These Terms

Use Reliable Sources

• capitalism

• socialism

• communism

• totalitarianism

Assignment - 10 Minutes

On the next slide, you will see a link to Padlet. If you have not used Padlet in other classes, you will need to make an account using YOUR GREEN DOT EMAIL. In each column, add your definition of each political system IN ONLY TWO SENTENCES.

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Class Discussion

• Why is it difficult to describe a political ideology using only two sentences?

• Which terms were the most difficult to define, and why?

Open Ended

In a capitalist system, what is the individual’s relationship to his/her personal property? How does this compare with the individual’s relationship to property under socialism? Under totalitarianism?

Open Ended

What is communism? How are communism and these other ideologies similar, and how are they different?

These political ideas are complex. While the government of a country such as the United States is founded on the principles of capitalism, some elements of socialism have also appeared in American domestic policy, such as welfare, social security, police and fire departments, and public education.

Part 1 Wrap Up

Assignment

Take the next three minutes to read the two quotes in your handout. On the next slide you will write a paragraph comparing these two quotes.

Open Ended

Why does McCarthy believe it is the government’s duty to recognize and name traitors? Why does Seeger “decline to discuss” the people he has known and sung with? Who do you think makes a more persuasive argument, and why?

Next Time: McCarthyism and Music