Wisconsin History Day By Day


Related Web Sites:
The Censure of Joseph McCarthy

Joseph McCarthy Career Timeline

Joseph McCarthy (Wikipedia)


Read More About It

"The Progressive Legacy, 1945-1995" (videorecording) by UW-Stevens Point

"McCarthy and the Fear of Communisim in American History" by Karen Zeinert

"Freedom in Jeopardy: The Story of McCarthy Years" by Burt Hirschfeld

"Joseph McCarthy and the Cold War" by Victoria Sherrow


Vocabulary:

censured
Communists
condemned
unsubstantiated


Interesting Fact:

McCarthy was born in Grand Chute, Wis., and graduated from Marquette University.


Study Questions:

  • The word McCarthyism is named after Joseph McCarthy. What does it mean?
  • How is McCarthy viewed by today's historians?
  • What happened to McCarthy after he was censured by the Senate?


    U.S. historical events that occurred on December 2:

    1823: The Monroe Doctrine, a policy opposing European expansion in the Western Hemisphere, is outlined by President James Monroe.
    1859: Abolitionist John Brown is hanged for his raid on Harper's Ferry.
    1970: The Environmental Protection Agency begins operation.



  • December 2

    December 2, 1954: Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy was condemned by the U.S. Senate on a vote of 65 to 22 for conduct unbecoming of a U.S. Senator. His unfounded and unsubstantiated claims that Communists had infiltrated the federal government, the military forces, universities and the film industry eventually caused McCarthy to lose supporters. The Senate condemned McCarthy in 1954 for "contemptuous" conduct of a Senate Elections subcommittee that had investigated his conduct and for abuse of its members. After being censured, McCarthy's power and status in the Senate declined, as did his health. McCarthy died in 1957.


    Wisconsin History Day By Day homepage
    January - December calendar page