The Cold War was a state of tension between the Communist Soviet Union and the United States. The threat of nuclear war incited panic among all Americans. According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, both America and the Soviet Union began making intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the Soviets began installing missiles in Cuba that could be used to launch nuclear attacks on the United States. (Cold War | Summary, Causes, history, years, timeline, & facts). People were not only afraid of the potential nuclear warfare, but there was also mass hysteria of Communist ideas spreading throughout the country, and that there were spies or people loyal to the communist party plotting inside the United States. All this internal pressure led to the rise of McCarthyism, where people would falsely accuse others of being involved with communism for personal benefit. The Cold War heavily impacted foreign policies and changed the way Americans thought about national security.

The stalemate between the United States and the Soviet Union was not only an issue for the Government and the Military. The fear of communism made its way into the country and severely impacted the citizens in America. This period in time was called the Red Scare, in which people would constantly be under the impression that they were being watched by spies of the Soviet Union or people of the communist Party. This hysteria led to multiple false accusations of normal people being associated with the communist party. Multiple people were investigated and charged wrongfully, often with unstable evidence. These accusations could not be proved or disproved, as the communist ideals were not openly practiced; rather, they were beliefs that were not outwardly verifiable. The Idea of assumed innocence was heavily challenged, as many people were charged even without reasonable suspicion of guilt. Many of the actions taken violated the First Amendment, such as freedom of speech, where many people were judged solely based on what they said. These events raised questions about whether the government was protecting citizens’ rights and following the constitution, or infringing on citizens’ rights.

The Cold War began as a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union over democracy and communism, but eventually found its way into the United States. It made a profound impact on the United States and the interpretation of the Constitution through its prolonged periods of tension and increased hysteria. Fear of communism led to government actions that limited citizens’ rights and gave the president more power and responsibility. These changes illustrate how Internal and external conflict can reshape the government and impact citizens. It is important to learn about events such as the Cold War because they shaped the United States to become what it is today. We still undergo the same procedures as they did in the Cold War, and we still have treaties with foreign powers as a result of the Cold War. Events like the Cold War led America to become the country it is today.