Answer these questions.

What does it mean to be a subversive?

What does it mean to be blacklisted?

Subversive …

Someone who intends to overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing system, especially a legally constituted government or set of believes.

Blacklist… A list privately exchanged among

employers, containing the names of persons to be barred from employment because of untrustworthiness or for holding opinions considered undesirable.

Activity! Everyone will receive a small piece of paper. Some will have a red x and

some will be blank.

Do NOT say what is on your piece of paper.

Red x’s = spies!

Try to form the biggest group without any red x’s

Spies are trying to infiltrate the groups

The largest group with no spies win!

Spies who infiltrate also win!

HUAC Targets Hollywood About 300 film directors, writers, and designers joined Communist party

during the 1930s because they were unhappy with the results of capitalism

After WWII, many were fearful that the communists still exist in the United States.

HUAC Targets Hollywood Afraid Communists were working to secure the content of the films

HUAC decided to investigate people involved in the movie industry

HUAC used the movie industry to promote anti-Communism and to gain public support

More than 40 people received subpoenas and appeared before HUAC

The Question:

“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”

Options: Refuse to answer on that grounds that Congress has no authority to

investigate behavior protected by the first amendment

Refuse to answer, pleading the Fifth Amendment, which gives people the right no to testify against themselves

Answer yes and place themselves at the mercy of the committee

Answer no and risk being charged with perjury if the committee thought they were not telling the truth.

Hollywood Ten Group of 10 Hollywood actors and

screen writers agreed to plead the First Amendment and remain silent

Results: Found guilty of contempt

Served jail terms of one year

Fired from film industry

Blacklisted