Skip to Main Content
American Experience

Margaret Chase Smith

Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the first senator to stand up to Joseph McCarthy.

Aired 01/06/2020

American Experience

Margaret Chase Smith

Clip: Season 32 Episode 1 | 1m 17s

Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the first senator to stand up to Joseph McCarthy.

Senator Margaret Chase Smith asked Senator Joseph McCarthy for evidence to support his allegations of communists in the State Department, but he ignored her requests. In June 1950, Smith delivered a Declaration of Conscience against "the selfish political exploitation of fear, bigotry, ignorance and intolerance. "

Aired 01/06/2020

Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback

Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Support provided by:

Liberty Mutual InsuranceCarlisle

Chapter 1 | McCarthy

Video has Closed Captions

Clip: S32 Ep1 | 8m 50s | Watch the opening scene of McCarthy. (8m 50s)

Joseph McCarthy: Senator of Anti-Communism

Clip: S32 Ep1 | 1m 6s | The McCarthy hearings are now emblematic of the 1950s "Red Scare." (1m 6s)

Langston Hughes on Trial

Clip: S32 Ep1 | 4m 39s | Author Langston Hughes was called before Sen. McCarthy’s Subcommittee on Investigations. (4m 39s)

McCarthyism: Anatomy of an Investigation

Clip: S32 Ep1 | 5m 50s | McCarthy declared to Congress that scholar Owen Lattimore was a "top Russian spy." (5m 50s)

Roy Cohn: Chief Counsel for McCarthy

Clip: S32 Ep1 | 1m 5s | Senator Joseph McCarthy hired Roy Cohn in 1953 as Chief Counsel. (1m 5s)

Teaser | McCarthy | American Experience

Preview: S32 Ep1 | 1m 48s | The rise and fall of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who led a Cold War crusade against Communists. (1m 48s)

Trailer | McCarthy | American Experience

Preview: S32 Ep1 | 30s | the rise and fall of Joseph McCarthy, who led a Cold War crusade against Communists. (30s)

Providing Support for PBS.org

Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship

Support for PBS provided by:

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Sign in with Email

or

Continue with GoogleContinue with FacebookContinue with Apple

By creating an account, you acknowledge that PBS may share your information with our member stations and our respective service providers, and that you have read and understand the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Are you sure you want to remove null from My List?