HUAC Explained (House Un-American Activities Committee)
Summary
TLDRThe House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was a congressional committee active from 1945 to 1975, known for investigating alleged disloyalty and subversive activities, particularly focusing on communism. Originating from earlier committees like the Overman and Fish committees, HUAC became infamous for its Hollywood blacklisting and pursuit of suspected communists in government and society. It faced a decline in credibility during the 1960s, particularly after targeting groups like Students for a Democratic Society and individuals like Abbie Hoffman, who used satire to highlight the committee's excesses. The committee was eventually renamed and later abolished, with its investigative functions integrated into the Judiciary Committee.
Takeaways
- ποΈ The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was a standing committee in the House of Representatives from 1945 to 1975, focused on investigating suspected communists and subversive activities in the United States.
- π The precursor to HUAC was the Overman Committee, formed in 1918, initially to investigate German influence but later focusing on Bolshevik influence, sparking the first Red Scare.
- π΅οΈββοΈ The Fish Committee in the 1930s conducted public and private hearings to investigate suspected communists, including targeting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
- π The McCormick-Dickstein Committee was established to investigate Nazi propaganda but also pursued suspected communists, including the infamous 'Business Plot'.
- ποΈ Martin Dies Jr. led a special investigative committee from 1938 to 1944, targeting organizations and individuals perceived as communists, including the Federal Theatre Project and the American Youth Congress.
- π The Yellow Report criticized the War Relocation Authority's handling of Japanese American internment, suggesting a soft stance that could lead to vulnerability from Japanese spies.
- π¬ The Hollywood investigation by HUAC in the 1940s resulted in the blacklisting of numerous producers, directors, actors, and writers, impacting the careers of notable figures like Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin.
- ποΈ The conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury, despite claims of never being a spy, bolstered HUAC's credibility and public perception of the need to root out communists within the U.S. government.
- π½οΈ HUAC influenced Hollywood to produce films with anti-communist themes, showcasing the committee's impact on culture and media.
- π The credibility of HUAC began to decline in the 1950s, particularly after Joseph McCarthy's downfall for his accusations against the U.S. Army.
- π¨ The committee's downfall was hastened by its pursuit of student activists and groups like the Students for a Democratic Society and the Yippies, especially after high-profile confrontations with figures like Abbie Hoffman.
Q & A
What was the initial focus of the Overman Committee?
-The Overman Committee was initially focused on investigating German influence in the bootlegging arena in the United States.
How did the Overman Committee's focus shift after the Russian Revolution?
-After the Russian Revolution, the Overman Committee shifted its focus to investigating Bolshevik influence in the United States, which sparked the first Red Scare.
What was the Fish Committee's primary purpose in the 1930s?
-The Fish Committee's primary purpose was to conduct public and private hearings to investigate suspected communists among public employees, organizations, and individuals.
What was the original purpose of the McCormick-Dickstein Committee?
-The McCormick-Dickstein Committee was originally formed to investigate Nazi propaganda and other certain propaganda, but they also had the latitude to investigate suspected communists.
What significant event did the McCormick-Dickstein Committee expose?
-The McCormick-Dickstein Committee exposed the 'Business Plot,' which involved Wall Street tycoons allegedly planning a fascist takeover of the United States.
What was the Yellow Report critical of, and what did it suggest?
-The Yellow Report was critical of the War Relocation Department's stance on Japanese Americans interned on the West Coast, suggesting that they were not being punished enough and that this was making the country vulnerable to Japanese spies.
Who was the first chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee when it became a standing committee in 1945?
-The first chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee when it became a standing committee was Edward Hart, a Democrat.
What was the Hollywood investigation by the HUAC, and what were its consequences?
-The Hollywood investigation by the HUAC resulted in blacklisting 10 producers and directors and over 300 actors, writers, and screenwriters, some of whom were thrown out of Hollywood permanently.
What was the significance of the conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury in relation to HUAC?
-The conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury provided HUAC with a significant win, as it helped convince the public of the committee's necessity in rooting out communists within the U.S. government.
How did the HUAC's credibility begin to decline in the 1950s?
-The HUAC's credibility began to decline in the 1950s when it started going after members of the U.S. Army as being communists, which led to a backlash and a loss of public trust.
What event in 1960 brought HUAC back into the public eye, and what was the outcome?
-HUAC's investigations in San Francisco City Hall in 1960 brought it back into the public eye, resulting in riots and protests, with the ACLU releasing films to highlight the absurdity of the HUAC hearings.
What was the final straw for HUAC, and when did it occur?
-The final straw for HUAC occurred in the late 1960s when it started going after the Students for a Democratic Society and figures like Abbie Hoffman, who used satire and protest to expose the committee's methods as ridiculous.
What was the outcome for HUAC in 1969, and what happened to its investigative arm in 1975?
-In 1969, HUAC was renamed the Internal Security Committee. By 1975, the committee was abolished, and its investigative arm was merged into the Judiciary Committee, where all the files were moved.
Outlines
ποΈ Origins and Early Investigations of Un-American Activities
This paragraph delves into the history of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), starting with its precursors in the Senate, the Overman Committee in 1919 and the Fish Committee in the 1930s. These committees were initially focused on investigating German influence and Bolshevism, respectively. The Overman Committee was tasked with probing German influence in bootlegging and later shifted to investigating the 'Red Scare' and the perceived threat of Communist infiltration from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The Fish Committee, led by Hamilton Fish, targeted suspected Communists, including public employees and organizations like the ACLU. The McCormick-Dickstein Committee, active from 1934 to 1937, was initially aimed at investigating Nazi propaganda but also pursued suspected Communists, notably through the 'Business Plot' investigation. The narrative then transitions to the formation of HUAC in 1938, emphasizing its role in investigating subversive activities and Communist influence in various sectors, including the Federal Theatre Project and the American Youth Congress.
π¬ Hollywood Blacklisting and HUAC's Later Years
The second paragraph discusses HUAC's most infamous period, particularly its Hollywood investigations that led to the blacklisting of numerous individuals in the film industry, such as Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin, due to suspected Communist affiliations. It also touches on the committee's role in promoting anti-Communist propaganda in Hollywood through films like 'I Married a Communist' and 'Red Planet Mars.' The narrative then shifts to the 1950s, highlighting the committee's association with McCarthyism and its eventual decline in credibility, especially after the investigation of alleged Communists in the US Army. The 1960s saw HUAC conducting investigations in San Francisco City Hall and targeting student groups like Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and countercultural figures like Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman's satirical and confrontational approach to the hearings helped to expose the committee's methods and contributed to its eventual disrepute. The paragraph concludes with HUAC's renaming to the Internal Security Committee in 1969 and its eventual abolition in 1975, with its functions being absorbed into the Judiciary Committee.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
π‘Overman Committee
π‘Red Scare
π‘Fish Committee
π‘McCormick-Dickstein Committee
π‘Martin Dies Jr.
π‘Hollywood Blacklist
π‘Alger Hiss
π‘McCarthyism
π‘Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
π‘Abbie Hoffman
Highlights
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was a standing committee in the House of Representatives from 1945 to 1975.
Precursor to HUAC was the Overman Committee, investigating German influence and Bolshevism in the US after the Russian Revolution.
The Fish Committee in the 1930s focused on investigating suspected communists, including public employees and organizations.
The McCormick-Dickstein Committee was tasked with investigating Nazi propaganda and suspected communists.
The Business Plot, an alleged fascist coup attempt in the US, was investigated by the McCormick-Dickstein Committee.
HUAC, led by Martin Dies Jr., targeted organizations and individuals suspected of subversion and communism.
HUAC's Yellow Report criticized the War Relocation Authority's handling of Japanese American internment.
In 1945, HUAC became a standing committee with Edward Hart as its first chairman, focusing on high-profile targets like Hollywood.
The Hollywood investigation resulted in the blacklisting of producers, directors, actors, and writers suspected of communist ties.
HUAC's investigation into the US government led to the conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury, affirming HUAC's role in uncovering communist infiltration.
HUAC's influence extended to Hollywood films, with productions like 'I Married a Communist' reflecting anti-communist sentiments.
Joseph McCarthy's activities in the Senate paralleled HUAC's efforts, but his downfall impacted HUAC's credibility.
HUAC's 1960 investigation into San Francisco City Hall and the subsequent riots brought public scrutiny and criticism.
The ACLU's response to HUAC's hearings, including films showcasing the events, highlighted the absurdity of the proceedings.
HUAC's pursuit of the Students for a Democratic Society and figures like Abbie Hoffman exposed the committee's controversial methods.
Abbie Hoffman's satirical protests against HUAC contributed to the decline in the committee's public image.
HUAC was renamed the Internal Security Committee in 1969, but its reputation was irreparably damaged.
The committee was eventually abolished in 1975, with its investigative functions transferred to the Judiciary Committee.
Transcripts
[Music]
hey guys welcome to hipu history we're
going to do it up for you right now
we're going to do a little bit of H
excuse me that would be the house on
unamericans Activities Committee which
was a standing committee in the house of
representation from 1945 to 1975 but
before we get started we're going to
talk a little bit about the precursors
to what will become huak which actually
originate in the senate in 1918 in 1919
called the Overman committee named after
its Senate committee chairman uh Lee
Slater Overman who was a senator from
North Carolina was first charged with
investigating German influence in the
bootlegging arena in the United States
but as the Russian revolution occurred
in 1917 1918 it turned its focus on
bolic influence in the United States
really kind of sparking the first Red
Scare um kind of promoting this fear
that these Communists were coming from
Eastern Europe and the now Soviet Union
to infiltrate the United States and
overthrow its government so that's
really kind of the first guide that we
have the Overman committee and that's
replaced in the 1930s um by another
institution in the House of
Representatives called the fish
committee and these are not standing
committees these are kind of special
investigative committees but Hamilton
Fish who's a republican House member
from the great state of New York in the
1930s used that to have public and
private hearings to investigate
suspected uh public employees and
organizations and individuals of being
communists and he particularly didn't
like the ACLU the American civil
liberties Union and he spent a long time
going after them as well as pressuring
the justice department to really clamp
down on enforcement of suspected
Communists and really manipulating
immigration law to keep suspected
Communists out so the second committee
we get from 1934 to 1937 is the mccormic
dickstein committee named after House
member John McCormick from Massachusetts
and Samuel dickstein from New York both
Democrats and their original purpose was
to have an unamerican Activities
Committee to investigate Nazi propaganda
and other certain propaganda but they
certainly had a lot of latitude to also
go after suspected Communists they're
most famous for kind of exposing or
investigating what was the business plot
which was supposedly uncovered by Major
General um smutley Butler who was one of
the Bonus Army leaders that there was
these Wall Street tycoons that were
planning a fascist overtake of the
United States and then in 1938 to 1944
we have another committee and now it's a
kind of special investiga committee
that's renamed the house on unamerican
Activities Committee this is led by a
man by the name of Martin D Jr who's a
democratic House member from the great
state of Texas and they have kind of the
same purpose to investigate plots um
subversives Communists anybody that's
seeking to overthrow the constitutional
government of the United States in their
View and they're going to go after
organizations like the federal theater
project part of the WPA saying that this
new deal program was uh being um
infiltrated by Communists who were using
their influence to put it into plays and
to uh try to propagate against the
United States of America he goes after
the American youth congress as well as
private citizens public employees and
other organizations they also issued
something called the yellow report which
was very critical of the war relocation
Department saying that they had too soft
of a stance on the Japanese Americans
that were being intern the West Coast
that they weren't being punishing enough
that this was a real problem and that we
were um opening ourselves to
vulnerability from Japanese spies and
such now in 1945 this committee is going
to be turned in the House of
Representatives to a standing committee
so now we have it the house on
unamerican Activities Committee the
first committee chairman of this new
standing committee is a Democrat by the
name of Edward Hart now Edward Hart is
going to use this Committee in the 1940s
to really go after some big Big Fish um
one would be Hollywood there was a
Hollywood investigation um that ended up
blacklisting 10 producers and directors
that worked in Hollywood over 300 actors
and writers and screenplay artists were
kind of thrown out of Hollywood for for
some of them forever Orson Wells Paul
Robison Charlie Chaplain Charlie
Chaplain you dirty little communist
bastage so that was one of their biggest
investigations and it really kind of
played a big role in putting a spotlight
on them not soon after they're going to
score a win they're going to be
investigating suspected Communists in
the government and one of them alar his
is going to be convicted on perjury um
now he claimed that he never was a spy
but KGB records show that he probably
was a spy so kuak has success in
convincing the public by convicting
Alaris of perjury that this is a real
problem that they are a needed committee
to investigate and root out Communists
that are buried in the United States
government their functions also include
really pushing propaganda out of
Hollywood we didn't mention this before
but there were films I married a
communist Red Menace red planet Mars
these were all produced by Hollywood
after those Hollywood investigations
showing the influence of this uh now
standing committee on work and art that
was coming out of Hollywood but really
1947 and 1948 are going to be their
Heyday because they're going to have a
problem and it's really not a problem
that exists within their chamber but the
other chamber they across the whole the
US Senate and that's where we have
Joseph McCarthy doing his thing you've
probably heard of McCarthyism there's
another video for that but McCarthy is
really going to kind of implode in the
1950s after he starts going after
members of the US Army as being
communists and that's really going to be
kind of a weight and an anchor on hak as
they start to lose credibility um in
1960 they give another big spurt by
having investigations in San Francisco
City Hall there's a whole bunch of riots
outside Berkeley and Stanford students
who were protesting outside who were
attacked by the police and this ended up
in the public eye big time with the ACLU
um actually putting out films to show
what was going on and how ridiculous
these hak hearings were now there real
real downfall because they don't die
till 1975 is going to occur in the late
1960
6768 where they start going after the
students for Democratic Society yippies
specifically Abby Hoff now it's one
thing when you're going after Orson
Wells he's got a lot to lose he wears a
nice suit he Combs his hair to the side
he doesn't want to be blacklisted but
it's another thing when you're going
after Abby Hoffman who would show up
dressed as a revolutionary Soldier and
hand out copies of the Declaration of
Independence who would do Nazi salutes
when people were asking him questions
who dressed as Santa Claus so he's
really using satire and kind of the
protest movement to shine a light on the
ridic ousness of what these hearings are
all about so after Abby Hoffman that's
pretty much it for hak they actually
rename the committee in 1969 the
internal security committee maybe they
thought they could put some lipstick on
a pig or something like that but by 1975
it's really not going to work they're
going to abolish that committee and
actually the investigative arm of that
committee is going to be kind of wrapped
up into the Judiciary Committee where
all the files were moved so that's
hak hak the house on unamerican activ
ities committee we hope that you know a
little bit more about it now and we
certainly hope that you always remember
that where your attention goes your
energy flows and we'll see you guys next
time that you press my
buttons
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