National Endowment for the Humanities
The House Un-American Activities Committee
Was the House Un-American Activities Committee justified in investigating subversive influences in the entertainment industry? Part two of the three-part series of lessons that examine the anti-communism movement after World War II,...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Learners investigate the goals and methods of the House Un-American Activities Committee and offer an opinion regarding whether their investigation of Hollywood was justifiable.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
"I have here in my hand . . ." The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1954. Joseph McCarthy takes center stage in this, the final lesson...
Curated OER
Chapter 28: Red Flags and Velvet Revolutions: The End of the Cold War, 1960-1990
Set your historians up for testing success using this interactive flashcard tool. It is one of many learning strategies offered in this thorough online resource. Although designed for use with a text, the site is valuable independently....
Curated OER
The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy
High schoolers analyze documents, cartoons, speeches and articles about Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against "Un-American" activities. They guide their research with a worksheet and participate in class discussions about their findings.
University of California
Anti-Communism at Home
Have you ever been accused of something without cause? The sixth installment of an eight-part series asks scholars to create a museum exhibit on the anti-communist activities in the United States at the start of the Cold War. To make...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Soviet Espionage in America
The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first lesson asks groups to read an introduction that describes the Verona Project and...
Curated OER
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Examine the life of Arthur Miller and the characters in one of his well-known plays, The Crucible. The first few slides give background information on Miller as well as Senator McCarthy and the blacklisted celebrities during the...
Curated OER
Welcome to Paul Robeson: Speak of Me As I Am
Eighth graders examine Paul Robeson's contribution to American political and artistic heritage. They also study about McCarthyism and social unrest in America. Finally, they compare the methods used by two civil rights leaders
Curated OER
Immigrants Welcome?
Ninth graders examine the world after the end of World War II. In groups, they complete a Naturalization Review Board activity and discuss how immigrants changed the United States. As a class, they discover how the immigration policies...
Curated OER
Kazan, Miller, and the McCarthy Era
Students read The Crucible in order to investigate the McCarthy era and the Hollywood Blacklist. Students watch video clips of the McCarthy witch hunts and investigate the time period through online research. Students recreate sections...
Curated OER
The Cold War: Anti-Communism at Home
Eleventh graders take a closer look at the Red Scare. In this Cold War instructional activity, 11th graders read the provided literature about anti-communism in the United States and then respond to the provided discussion questions that...
Curated OER
President Richard M. Nixon- Reading Selection and Questions
In this President Richard M. Nixon worksheet, students read a two page biography about this president. They answer 8 multiple choice questions based on the reading.
George Washington University
Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project: House Un American Activities Committee
A description of the genesis of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the bullying inquisition of those the committee accused of having Communist leanings.
PBS
The Sixties: House Un American Activities Committee
The House Un-American Activities Committee gained noteriety in the 1950s with Joseph McCarthy and his witch hunts. The committee was still in existence in the early 1960s. Read this brief article to see what it was investigating then.
Curated OER
History Matters: "The World Was at Stake"
The House Un-American Activities Committee, a Congressional committee, sought to find Communist activity in the film industry. Read the transcript from hearings questioning Jack Warner, head of Warner Brothers film company, Louis B....
Other
Cpsu: J. Edgar Hoover Huac Testimony
Read the testimony of J. Edgar Hoover before the House Un-American Activities Committee where he explains the destructive nature of Communists in the United States.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Huac and Hollywood
This video and support materials detail the Hollywood blacklist and House Un-American Activities Committee, chronicling the fear of Communism and resulting blacklist based on political ideology. The video is from the American Masters...
University of Pennsylvania
The American 50s: Mc Carran Act or Internal Security Act of 1950
Although brief, this article explains the McCarran Act and how it intertwined with the House Un-American Activities Committee in its anti-Communist hysteria.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Red Scare America
Describes the events that took place during the McCarthy Era and actions of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ordinary Americans feared being identified as a Communist sympathizer and libraries removed books from their shelves...
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania: The Hollywood Blacklist
This site describes what went on in Hollywood during the Red Scare of the 1950s when many actors and directors were asked to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee about possible communist activity in Hollywood.
PBS
Nova Online: Secrets, Lies, and Atomic Spies: Alger Hiss
Read about the case against Alger Hiss, who was accused of spying for the Soviet Union. Investigation was done by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Becoming Visible: Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller is presented in this biography for his plays revolving around post-World War II America, paying particular attention to the middle class and effects of Communism. See "Arthur Miller Activities" for related materials.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: American Masters Collection: Arthur Miller
This is a collection of three video lessons about Arthur Miller and his play "The Crucible." Teaching materials including handouts and discussion questions are included.