Thousands of people were arrested and taken away from their families in the 1960s. This was all due to something most of them didn't do. Joseph McCarthy accused people of being communists without using hard evidence to prove it. As a result, many people have lost their jobs, friends and some have even had their entire lives ruined. If a parent was accused, the child lost friends, parents told their children to stay away from them. This was the norm in the 1950s: everyone was afraid of the “reds” or the communists. The Cold War had a big effect on this, because that's when America started to be afraid of communists or Russians. McCarthyism affected everyone in America. Most citizens were afraid of the reds, some were former or current reds, others were accused and persecuted for allegedly being red. It is clear that McCarthyism played an important role in the development of America. McCarthyism has become a household term, not just associated with the Red Scare. It is now a term used for any accusation without any evidence. This period was not the first time people were accused of being communists, however it became a big problem in the United States and mostly happened during that time. The idea of ​​McCarthyism was developed even before McCarthy, he simply popularized the idea. Its origins come from many things. Every time the United States clashed with Russia, the idea grew. Furthermore, according to "The Cold War Home Front: McCarthyism.", Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal was supposedly linked to communism. The idea came from many places, McCarthy being the main one. McCarthy wasn't exactly the perfect senator. Indeed, many considered him "one of the least qualified and most corrupt politicians of his time". McCarthyism was first used by him as a… paper medium… to show how the media has an effect on people. You would think that America would learn from their mistake, however, McCarthyism still exists in this country today with terrorism. Hopefully, this will be our last stint with this unconstitutional act. Works Cited "The Cold War Home Front: McCarthyism." The Home Front of the Cold War: McCarthyism. Network. February 19, 2014. "Joseph R. McCarthy." History.com. A&E television networks. Network. 18 February 2014. "McCarthyism, the Red Scare and domestic subversion". Discover the networks. Network. 19 February 2014. "McCarthyism". Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. Network. February 19, 2014.Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print."Red Scare." History.com. A&E television networks. Network. February 18, 2014.Schrecker, Ellen. The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1994. Print.