Graduation Term
2024
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of History
Committee Chair
Andrew Hartman
Abstract
The Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) suffered greatly under McCarthyism and by 1956 was no longer considered a viable political party by contemporary historians. Therefore, contemporary historians ignore the efforts of the CPUSA after this date. Failure to engage with the CPUSA post 1956 ignores their activity and contribution to the political and social landscape of the United States during the New Left, Civil Rights Movement, and Anti-War Movement. The CPUSA remained an influential political party and organizing power during the post-McCarty years. This survey exemplifies the methods used and spaces occupied by the CPUSA that allowed them to punch above their weight in making change and remain influential in leading mass movements few other organizations hoped to match, all while under the ever watchful eye of the FBI.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Carlson, Zachary, "Back in the Ring: a Survey of the Communist Party of the United States: 1956-1976" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 1893.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1893
DOI
https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2024.20240618063948269484.999985