SOURCES

Document A: New York Times Article (June 10, 1954)
Lawrence, W.H. "Welch Assails M'Carthy's 'Cruelty' And 'Recklessness' In Attack On Aide,” New York Times, June 10, 1954 [excerpt].
Use this source to help students consider how the exchange in the clip was perceived by contemporaries.

Document B: Herb Block cartoon “You Read Books, eh?” (April 24, 1949)
Block, Herb, "So you Read Books, eh?", Washington Post, April 24, 1949.
Use this cartoon to remind students that a climate of oppressive political conformity existed before Senator Joseph McCarthy made his accusations in 1950. See the cartoon in the original exhibit.

Document C: “The Legacy of McCarthyism” by Ellen Schrecker
Schrecker, Ellen. The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents (1994): pp. 92-94.
Use this article to have students think about the immediate and long-lasting effects of McCarthyism on American politics and society.

Timelines
Use this set of chronologies with the other sources to help students track the sequence of events that signified McCarthy’s rise and fall. These chronologies also help students consider events that signified a climate of red-baiting and fear of communism that McCarthy took advantage of rather than created by himself.