Security vs Liberty Slides Security vs Liberty
The Human Cost of the Second Red Scare
Warm-Up: Four Corners
Move to the corner that best represents your stance:
"Is it ever necessary to restrict constitutional rights to protect the country's safety?"
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Essential Question
How did the Red Scare compromise Americans' rights and freedoms?
Part 1
What was the Red Scare and why did it happen?
Part 2
What role did the government play in the hysteria?
Part 3
Which specific freedoms were limited or lost?
Video Investigation
Use Tracker Graphic Organizer
Embedded media
Pause 1: 3:55
Defining the Scare
Pause 2: 7:25
Government Tactics
Pause 3: 11:48
Impact on Rights
Case Study Analysis
The Security Dossier
In your groups, you will analyze two primary source documents from the 1950s. Your goal is to determine:
Was the threat of communism high enough to justify the government's actions?
What specific constitutional rights were at stake?
Who had the "better" argument: Security or Liberty?
Primary Sources
The Hollywood Ten
HUAC Testimony Excerpts
Margaret Chase Smith
Declaration of Conscience
Liberty Check: Exit Ticket
Write a one-paragraph response:
Compare the government actions during the 1950s Red Scare to a modern surveillance issue (like the Patriot Act or internet privacy).
Consider:
Is the trade-off of privacy for safety worth it today?
What happens when fear drives national policy?
Red Scare Tracker Worksheet Red Scare Investigative Tracker
Document Ref: SC-1950-HIST | Subject: Domestic Subversion
Name:
Date:
Essential Question:
How did the Red Scare compromise Americans' rights and freedoms?
PAUSE 1: 3:55
Defining the Threat
What was the Red Scare?
Why were Americans afraid of Communism?
PAUSE 2: 7:25
The Government's Role
Key Term/Figure Impact or Action Taken Truman's Loyalty Order Joseph McCarthy / McCarthyism HUAC & Alger Hiss
PAUSE 3: 11:48
Limited Freedoms
Freedom of Speech
How was it restricted? (e.g., blacklisting, self-censorship)
Freedom of the Press
Role of the media during the hysteria?
Freedom of Association
The case of the Hollywood Ten?
Right to Privacy
Methods used by the FBI/Hoover?
Irony Check
Explain the "irony" mentioned at the end of the video regarding democracy and authoritarianism:
Security Dossier Case Studies Classified
Security Dossier: Case 1950-A
Department of Internal Affairs | Internal Security Division
Document A: Testimony of John Howard Lawson (1947)
Transcript Excerpt (HUAC Hearing)
"I am not on trial here. This Committee is on trial here before the American people. This Committee is investigating the thoughts of American citizens. It is an invasion of the very roots of the American system of government."
"The question of whether I am or am not a member of the Communist Party is a question which no committee of the Congress has the right to ask. It is a violation of the First Amendment, which protects my right to believe what I choose and to associate with whom I choose."
Context: Lawson was one of the "Hollywood Ten," a group of screenwriters who refused to answer the committee's questions about their political affiliations. They were all cited for contempt of Congress and blacklisted by the film industry.
Investigative Questions
1. Argument for Liberty:
2. Justification for Security?
Why did the government feel they had a right to ask this?
Evidence B
Security Dossier: Case 1950-B
U.S. Senate Records | June 1, 1950
Document B: "Declaration of Conscience"
Speech Excerpt (Sen. Margaret Chase Smith)
"I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation."
"I don't want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear."
"It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques—techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life."
Investigative Questions
1. Identify the "Tools":
What specific government tactics is she criticizing?
2. The "Irony":
How does Smith's view match the video's conclusion?
Group Verdict
Based on these documents and the video, was the government's pursuit of "Security" through McCarthyism worth the sacrifice of "Liberty"? Explain your reasoning below.
Liberty Check Exit Ticket Liberty Check: Exit Ticket
Lesson: Security vs Liberty (Red Scare)
Name:
Pd:
Critical Comparison
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." — Ben Franklin
Write one paragraph comparing the government actions of the Second Red Scare to a modern surveillance issue (e.g., the Patriot Act, data privacy, or airport security).
Liberty Check: Exit Ticket
Lesson: Security vs Liberty (Red Scare)
Name:
Pd:
Critical Comparison
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." — Ben Franklin
Write one paragraph comparing the government actions of the Second Red Scare to a modern surveillance issue (e.g., the Patriot Act, data privacy, or airport security).
Red Scare Facilitator Guide Security vs. Liberty
Teacher Facilitator Guide & Answer Key
10th-12th Grade
Duration
50-60 Minutes
Format
In-person / Hybrid
Key Concept
Civil Liberties
Lesson Flow
5 min
Warm-up: Four Corners
Label corners of the room: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree. Present the prompt. Have students explain their positions to the group.
20 min
Video & Tracker
Watch "The Red Scare: Government Action Against Communism". Pause at the designated times (3:55, 7:25, 11:48) to allow for note-taking on the Investigative Tracker .
20 min
Case Study Dossiers
Distribute the Security Dossier Case Studies . Students work in groups of 3-4 to analyze the documents. Focus on identifying the tension between constitutional rights and national security.
5 min
Closure: Exit Ticket
Students complete the Liberty Check . Challenge them to find a modern parallel beyond just "security cameras" (e.g., social media data mining, hate speech laws, etc.).
Tracker Answer Key
Red Scare Causes
Fear of communism spreading (containment theory).
Ideological conflict: Capitalism vs. Authoritarian Communism.
Soviet nuclear development and perceived espionage.
Government Role
Loyalty Orders: Screening 6M+ federal workers; 14k+ lost jobs.McCarthyism: Making accusations without evidence; "witch hunts."HUAC: Public hearings to root out "un-American" activities.
Limited Freedoms Summary
Speech: Self-censorship for teachers/artists; fear of being called "un-American."
Press: Media promoted anti-communist hype; reduced diversity of views.
Association: Hollywood Ten blacklisted for refusing to testify about politics.
Privacy: Illegal wiretaps by FBI/J. Edgar Hoover without warrants.
Case Study Discussion Guide
Doc A: John Howard Lawson
Students should recognize his argument is based on the 1st Amendment right to political privacy. Ask students: "If the government can ask about your political party, what other private beliefs could they investigate next?"
