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Year 11
AQA

McCarthyism and the second Red Scare

I can explain the influence and impact of the second Red Scare in the USA in the 1940s and 1950s.

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New
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Year 11
AQA

McCarthyism and the second Red Scare

I can explain the influence and impact of the second Red Scare in the USA in the 1940s and 1950s.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The USA experienced the second Red Scare during the 1940s and 1950s.
  2. Historical, international and domestic factors contributed to the second Red Scare.
  3. A wide range of Americans were investigated during hunts for communists.
  4. Joseph McCarthy became a leading anti-communist figure.
  5. McCarthyism involved accusing others of being communists with little proof.

Keywords

  • Ideology - an ideology is a set of beliefs which shapes a person's’ understanding of society and the world

  • Communist - a communist is a person who believes that wealth should be shared equally between people

  • Paranoia - paranoia is a situation where people are are unreasonably or excessively scared of something

  • Blacklisted - a situation where people refuse to deal or interact with a group of others who they consider to be bad is known as being blacklisted

Common misconception

The limited number of communists in the USA meant few people were affected by the Red Scare.

Millions of Americans were investigated during the Red Scare and thousands lost their jobs and social standing due to suspicions about their political beliefs.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: McCarthyism and the second Red Scare, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage students to investigate President Truman's motives for establishing the Loyalty Programme. Then ask pupils to identify reasons why historians might consider Joseph McCarthy's actions unique and not unique during the second Red Scare.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
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Adult supervision required

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing word: Older Americans worried that teenage culture and rebelliousness meant that a gap was being created in post-war America.
Correct Answer: generation, Generation
Q2.
How did education in the USA change during the 1940s?
Education became more expensive.
Correct answer: Most children remained in school for longer.
Most children began leaving school earlier.
Q3.
What type of main character was featured in the 1950s film 'The Wild One'?
adult cowboy
elderly soldier
hardworking student
Correct answer: rebellious teenager
Q4.
Why were Rock and Roll songs often popular with teenagers?
They were very short.
Records were very cheap to buy.
Correct answer: Lyrics often contained sexual references.
Q5.
How did cinema attendance change during the 1940s and 1950s?
Correct answer: more than halved
remained the same
more than doubled
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - Russia becomes a communist country
2 - first Red Scare in the USA
3 - outbreak of WW2
4 - USA becomes an ally of the Soviet Union
5 - end of WW2

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each of the keywords to their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:ideology,set of beliefs which shapes a person's understanding of society
tick

set of beliefs which shapes a person's understanding of society

Correct Answer:communism,belief that all wealth should be shared equally between people
tick

belief that all wealth should be shared equally between people

Correct Answer:McCarthyism,making strong accusations against people without proper proof
tick

making strong accusations against people without proper proof

Q2.
Write the missing word. HUAC stands for House Activities Committee.
Correct Answer: un-American, unAmerican, un American, Un American, Un-American
Q3.
Who was the USA's superpower rival after 1945?
Britain
France
Germany
Correct answer: USSR
Q4.
How many names of communists working in government did Joseph McCarthy initially claim to have in 1950?
55
105
155
Correct answer: 205
Q5.
Which statement is most accurate about the second Red Scare?
There were only hunts for communists working in government.
There were only hunts for communists working outside of the government.
Correct answer: There were hunts for communists working in a wide range of careers.
There were only hunts for communists from foreign backgrounds.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - Russian Revolution
2 - first Red Scare in the USA
3 - USA and USSR become allies
4 - Cold War begins
5 - second Red Scare

Additional material

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