Red Scare - Travis S.
Mass hysteria was present through out the entire U.S. The fear of communists in the United States was overwhelming and scary. Since the communists were referred to as 'Reds" this major event was called the Red Scare. The United States was easily opposed against the idea of communism, so the fact that there may have been communists in the country was terrifying and nobody could trust one another. Federals were often tested on their loyalty and nobody knew who was a communist or not.
The public was not happy with this at all. If they couldn't tell who was a communist and who wasn't, how could they be safe? The Soviets were testing bombs, taking countries, and even entering wars. With all the happening, the public was generally scared. Why wouldn't they be? Politically, people running for positions in government would often try to appeal to everyone that they were 'Anti-Communist' and would help rid of them.
The Red Scare was important simply because it shows the magnitude of fear that the Soviets had on America. The general population couldn't rest easy knowing they aren't safe.