The House of Committee on Un-American Activities
1) The House of Committee on Un-American Activities was a subcommittee that attempted to find citizens and organizations who were accused of having relations with Communists. The purpose of HUAC was to find information and individuals who had strong Communist ties and were Communist sympathizers.
Pete Seeger
2) I thought that Pete Seeger was rightfully non-compliant as the committee was being obtrusive to matters that should not have been seen as "treacherous". I was also heavily dismayed by how Seeger was treated by the group, as they were conniving and unjust.
3) The evidence that was presented against Pete Seeger was a Daily Worker article where he was sighted singing at a Communist Party function
4) Seeger's reason for pleading the fifth was that it is not illegal to perform to a wide variety of individuals, regardless of political affiliation, religion, race, or social standing. He is also a faithful American who has not committed any violent or harmful crimes that impact his nation, therefore giving him the right to be resistant to their prying.
Paul Robeson
1) Paul Robeson was a recognized concert performer and actor who received a law degree from Columbia University and was an acclaimed political speaker.
2) I absolutely adore Robeson's response to the committee, whenever they asked incessantly ignorant questions, he ignored them, invoking the fifth amendment. He wasn't afraid to bluntly state how racist the chairman was and evading questions that highly implied a connection between being a Communist sympathizer and black.
3) The evidence presented against Paul Robeson is that when he wanted to get a new passport he refused to say he didn't have any affiliation with the Communist party.
4) He says that the Committee deserves to be with the Alien and Sedition Act because they are trying to ostracize innocent and good groups of people for racist and unjust reasons.
Defining Terms
1) Fascism- This seems to be a brutal form of authority, a government with one ruler where the citizens cannot disagree with.
2) Democracy- This is supposedly a form of government where the citizens choose the leader and there are equal rights and opportunities.
3) Democratic Socialism - This is the idea that our government and society should be run democratically.
4) Communism- A system in which there is no private property and the government owns services that are used to make and transport goods.
The Volunteer
1) The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was when thousands of men and women went to Spain to fight fascism and join the International Brigade
2) Robeson decided to go to Spain because he liked their democracy and felt more freedom for his race. The war was considered an American problem because fascism was a huge problem infecting the world and the European countries were afraid to intervene, leaving America to play a vital part in this conflict.
