The Red Scare

The Red Scare refers to two distinct periods in U.S. history marked by intense fear of communism. The first occurred after World War I, around 1917-1920, fueled by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and fears of a similar uprising in America. The second, in the late 1940s and 1950s, was driven by the Cold War, with heightened paranoia about communist spies and influence, exemplified by figures like Senator Joseph McCarthy. Both periods saw government crackdowns on perceived communist sympathizers, leading to widespread social and political hysteria, as well as violations of civil liberties.