Which of the following is the best evidence that Cold War fears affected American civil liberties during 1950?

A. The soviet explosion of an atomic bomb

B. The election of Dwight Eisenhower

C. The arrest of Soviet spies

D. The McCarthys Senate hearing

The correct answer is D) The McCarthy Senate hearing.

The 1950's in America brought on the beginning of the Second Red Scare. This fear of communism infiltrating American society caused members of the federal government to take drastic action. A perfect example of this would be the House Un-American Activities Commitee.

This committee, led by individuals like Congressman Joe McCarthy, forced individuals to come before the Senate to discuss their links to the Soviet Union or communist party. Many of these individuals called were not charged with a legitimate crime nor was their evidence to indicate that they were guilty of doing anything wrong. This was a huge infringement on the rights of citizens, as they were forced to answer questions and be put on trial without their proper due process rights.

The correct answer is D) The McCarthys Senate hearings.

The best evidence that the Cold War fears affected American civil liberties during 1950 is "The McCarthys Senate hearings."

In that time, during the Cold War years, Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many people that worked for the military and the federal government, to have ties with Communists. So the McCarthys Senate hearings were the hearings held by the sub-committee of investigation. They started in April 1950 and ended in June 1954. But what resulted was that McCarthy's accusations could not be proved. He accused without elements and that was the end of his political career.