Ap United States History

AP® UNITED STATES HISTORY 2010 SCORING GUIDELINES (Form J) DBQ Question Analyze and evaluate the impact of the so-called Red Scare on U.S. citizens during the 1950s in the United States. Document A Judge Kaufman's Statement Upon Sentencing the Rosenbergs Citizens of this country who betray their fellow-countrymen can be under none of the delusions about the benignity of Soviet power that they might have been prior to World War II. The nature of Russian terrorism is now self-evident. Idealism as a rational dissolves . . . I consider your crime worse than murder. Plain deliberate contemplated murder is dwarfed in magnitude by comparison with the crime you have committed. In committing the act of murder, the criminal kills only his victim. The immediate family is brought to grief and when justice is meted out the chapter is closed. But in your case, I believe your conduct in putting into the hands of the Russians the A-bomb years before our best scientists predicted Russia would perfect the bomb has already caused, in my opinion, the Communist aggression in Korea, with the resultant casualties exceeding 50,000 and who knows but that millions more of innocent people may pay the price of your treason. Indeed, by your betrayal you undoubtedly have altered the course of history to the disadvantage of our country. No one can say that we do not live in a constant state of tension. We have evidence of your treachery all around us every day--for the civilian defense activities throughout the nation are aimed at preparing us for an atom bomb attack. Nor can it be said in mitigation of the offense that the power which set the conspiracy in motion and profited from it was not openly hostile to the United States at the time of the conspiracy. If this was your excuse the error of your ways in setting yourselves above our properly constituted authorities and the decision of those authorities not to share the information with Russia must now be obvious . . . In the light of this, I can only conclude that the defendants entered into this most serious conspiracy against their country with full realization of its implications . . . The statute of which the defendants at the bar stand convicted is clear. I have previously stated my view that the verdict of guilty was amply justified by the evidence. In the light of the circumstances, I feel that I must pass such sentence upon the principals in this diabolical conspiracy to destroy a God-fearing nation, which will demonstrate with finality that this nation's security must remain inviolate; that traffic in military secrets, whether promoted by slavish devotion to a foreign ideology or by a desire for monetary gains must cease. The evidence indicated quite clearly that Julius Rosenberg was the prime mover in this conspiracy. However, let no mistake be made about the role which his wife, Ethel Rosenberg, played in this conspiracy. Instead of deterring him from pursuing his ignoble cause, she encouraged and assisted the cause. She was a mature woman--almost three years older than her husband and almost seven years older than her younger brother. She was a full-fledged partner in this crime. Indeed the defendants Julius and Ethel Rosenberg placed their devotion to their cause above their own personal safety and were conscious that they were sacrificing their own children, should their misdeeds be detected--all of which did not deter them from pursuing their course. Love for their cause dominated their lives--it was even greater than their love for their children."

Document B1 and B2

Documents C1 and C2

Documents D1 and D2

Document E

In what was the most dramatic exchange of the hearings, McCarthy responded to aggressive questioning from Army counsel Joseph Welch. On June 9, 1954, Day 30 of the hearings, Welch challenged Cohn to give McCarthy's list of 130 subversives in defense plants to the office of the FBI and the Department Of Defense "before the sun goes down". In response to Welch's challenge, McCarthy suggested that Welch should check on Fred Fisher, a young lawyer in Welch's own Boston law firm whom Welch planned to have on his staff for the hearings. McCarthy then mentioned that Fisher had once belonged to the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), a group which U.S. Attorney General Herbert Brownell, Jr. had called "the legal bulwark of the Communist Party.”

At the time Brownell was seeking to designate the NLG as a Communist front organization, and McCarthy mentioning Fisher's membership violated a pre-hearing agreement to not raise the issue as it was still being litigated. Welch revealed that he himself had already confirmed Fisher's one-time NLG membership some six weeks before the hearings started; after Fisher admitted his membership to Welch, it was decided to send Fisher back to Boston. His replacement by another colleague on Welch's staff was also covered by The New York Times. Welch then gently reprimanded McCarthy for his needless attack on Fisher repeatedly using the adjectives "cruel" and "reckless". But McCarthy, accusing Welch of filibustering the hearing and baiting Cohn, dismissed Welch's dissertation and casually resumed his attack on Fisher, at which point Welch angrily cut him short:

"Senator, may we not drop this? We know he belonged to the Lawyer's Guild...Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator; you've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Infuriated by McCarthy's actions, Welch excluded himself from the remainder of the hearings with a parting shot to McCarthy: "You have seen fit to bring it [the Fisher/NLG affair] out, and if there is a God in heaven, it will do neither you nor your cause any good!" After Welch deferred to Chairman Mundt to call the next witness, the gallery burst into applause. Scoring Rubric Guidelines

You are highly encouraged to use every document in your analysis and evaluation

The 8–9 Essay [AKA Level 5] Articulates a clear, well-constructed thesis that analyzes and evaluates the impact of federal tactics at combating the threat of communism within the U.S. during the 1950s. Supports the thesis with substantial and relevant historical information related to the effectiveness of reform efforts in addressing problems during the time period. Provides effective analysis and evaluation of the success and failures of the federal government and popular culture in providing awareness, guidance and national security while still maintaining the civil rights, individual freedoms the U.S. Constitution guarantees all citizens. Offers alternate points of view. Is well organized and well written. May contain minor errors.

The 5–7 Essay [AKA 4 Level 4] Contains a thesis, which may be partially developed and addresses the effectiveness of Of the federal government at combating communism domestically and abroad. Provides ample, relevant historical information related to national security efforts during the time period. Analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of federal government officials in the two may present but may contain generalization and may at certain points lack a consistent argument throughout. Has acceptable organization and writing. May contain minor errors that do not seriously detract from the essay.

The 2–4 Essay [AKA Level 3] Presents a thesis that may be simplistic, confused or undeveloped in addressing domestic and international concerns of the federal government and U.S. citizens regarding the threat of communism Provides little relevant information concerning reform efforts related to at least one area during the period. Has little analysis and evaluation concerning domestic and international efforts to combat the threat of communism in at least one area. May contain major errors. May be poorly organized and/or written.

The 0–1 Essay [AKA Level 2 or below] Lacks a thesis or simply restates the question. Includes no relevant information. Contains no analysis. Is poorly organized and/or poorly written. May contain numerous errors, both major and minor.

The — Essay [AKA Level 1] Is completely off topic or blank.