VISUAL ACTIVITYThe Red Scare A celebrated editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post, Herbert Lawrence Block was a frequent critic of McCarthyism. In this 1949 cartoon, he addressed the intimidation of teachers, which occurred across the country in public schools and universities. Public officials demanded that teachers take loyalty oaths, grilled them about their past and present political associations, and fired those who refused to cooperate.READING THE IMAGE: What is the effect of portraying a female teacher and nine hefty male investigators? What does the man with scissors appear to be doing, and how does this ridicule the Red scare? Do you think it was coincidental that the artist included a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, who inspired the Bill of Rights?CONNECTIONS: How did the Red scare affect the prospects of Truman’s domestic agenda?
A 1949 Herblock Cartoon, © The Herb Block Foundation.