In the 1950s, Americans were alarmed by charges that communists had infiltrated their government and other institutions. Cold War themes made their way into movies, television shows, and novels.
Even comic-book heroes like Superman battled the communist menace. In a 1952 comic book, a character states the concerns of many Americans:
“Today’s headlines shout of battles with Communist hordes in Korea—of Red riots in Rome and Paris and Berlin! But there’s another secret battle taking place—right here, right now! A [secret] underground fight between Communism and democracy for the youth of America.” — (“Backyard Battleground,” in Daring Confessions, 1953)
Americans have often faced the difficult task of balancing the need to provide national security with the need to protect people’s rights and freedoms. In times of crisis, rights have sometimes been limited.
Beginning in the late 1940s, the Cold War dominated American life. For some of those years, the nation was in the grip of a new Red Scare. The hunt for communists netted some spies, but it also disrupted the lives of thousands of innocent Americans.
Read this study information leaflet: The Cold War at Home to learn more.
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