Joseph McCarthy

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/joseph-mccarthy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Joseph McCarthy born?November 14, 1908, in Grand Chute, Wisconsin
2. What is the u.s. senate term?1947 – 1957
3. What is the defining term?McCarthyism, referring to reckless, unsubstantiated accusations
4. Who was Joseph McCarthy?He was a U.S. senator from Wisconsin who became famous for accusing many people of being communists. He served in the Senate starting in 1946.
5. What did McCarthy say in his famous 1950 speech?He claimed he had a list of people in the State Department who were members of the Communist Party or a spy ring. This made him very well known.

Communist Subversion: The clandestine attempt to undermine or overthrow a government or organization through communist ideology.
Demagoguery: Political leadership that appeals to popular desires and prejudices rather than rational argument.