speech_blacklist

Speech I

Hollywood Blacklisting of the 1950's

Introduction:

An uneasy alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II exploded into a full blown Cold War soon after the war ended. Politics in the United States was consumed by this fear. We entered into a war in Korea to prevent the communists from taking over. The U.S. supported France's return to colonial Vietnam after the war, turning its back on World War II ally, Ho Chi Minh, because he was a communist. As country after country fell behind an "iron curtain" in Europe, Americans began to fear a "domino effect," and stopping the spread of communists became an American duty. During the late 1940's and during the 1950's, the fear of spreading communism within the United States itself rocked the civilian population. Senate and House committees were convened to eradicate the "commuist threat" and to weed out American communists, considered to be un-American. Fear of communists in Hollywood, who might spread communists propaganda in their films, led to public committee hearings and, ultimately, to the destroying of many lives by an insidious process called "blacklisting." This process is detailed in the film, Guilty by Suspicion. We will not only watch that film but will also research the history of the Hollywood ten, Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism, the House Un-American Activities Committee, and the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Relive these terrifying times through class discussions and research at the resourses listed below.

Practice Speech: You have been called upon to make a speech to the American public. Your purpose depends on the stance that you take. The topic of your speech will be to address the lost freedoms in America since September 11, 2001. You must deliver this speech with a full understanding and sensitivity about the events that occurred during the 1950's Hollywood blacklisting. Make reference to those events and convince the audience that you understand why these events took place.

Tasks:

Prepared Speech: Give a speech on the topic of fairness or truth.

Discussion Board: Take part in all of the required discussions on the Think.com discussion board.

Schedule and Assignments