Red Accusations in a Red White & Blue Time: The Red Channels Pamphlet

In American history there were two time periods that were marked as a 'Red Scare'. The term Red Scare refers to American Citizens' fear of Communism entering and destroying the American system.
The fist Red Scare occurred in 1917, immediately after the Russian Bolshevik Revolution, which American citizens feared would occur in America. This first scare revolved largely around political radicalism, the idea of changing the structure of a country's government through a political revolution.
The second Red Scare occurred in 1947 and remained in America up until 1957. The second Red Scare revolved largely around the suspicion and fear of communist espionages living in America. One of the main reasons for the fear of communist espionages in America was caused by the confessions of multiple high-ranking United States Government Officials spying for the Soviet Union. Another reason was the revolutions occurring in countries around the world, like the Korean war, and the Chinese Civil War, due to the spread of the Soviet Union and Communism.
With communist revolutions occurring around the world, American Citizens feared that their beloved America would soon fall to Communism. This fear caused suspicion and accusations between American Citizens, and eventually lead to the creation of the Red Channels pamphlet.
The first form of the Red Channels Pamphlet was the Hollywood Blacklist, created on November 25, 1947, which held only ten names.
On November 24, 1947, ten directors and writers refused to give testimony to the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and these ten artists were citied for Contempt of Congress. The people listed on this Blacklist were dubbed as the "Hollywood Ten", and they include, Albert Moles, Lester Cole, Albert Maltz, Adrian Scott, Samuel Ornitz, Dalton Trumbo, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardenr Jr., John Howard Lawson, and Alvah Lessie.[Seen Above Protesting with Family]





Three years later, on June 22, 1950, the counterattack journal produced the Red Channels, a pamphlet-style book which accused 151 members of the entertainment industry of America to be manipulating Communistic views into the American citizens, and others who were suspected to have possible ties to communism. This list contained the names of 151 American actors, musicians, screenwriters, directors, writers, broadcast journalists, and other members of the U.S entertainment industry. The artists whose names were found on this list were denied work due to real or suspected political beliefs or associations.
The fact that some of the people being accused only on suspected ties to communism but still could not find work after being placed on the list truly speaks of the time period in America. It was a time period when American citizens questioned their trust for the very highest of Government officials and even their trust for their very own neighbors over Communism.
----------------
Photo/Video Credits:
Photo 1: "A 'European Anarchist' attempting to destroy the Statue of Liberty"
Photo 2: Members of the 'Hollywood Ten' Protesting with Family
Video: The Hollywood Ten
Photo 3: Red Channel Pamphlet Cover