Two accusations of of spies in the United States roused fear and suspicion among American citizens. One of the victims of American xenophobia was Alger Hiss. Wittaker Chambers, a former communist spy, accused Hiss of currently being a spy for the Soviet Union during his time in the State Department. Chambers obtained microfilms from Hiss' typewriter and attempted to use them to prove that he was a spy. Unfortunately for Chambers, too much time passed since the incident to charge him with espionage. Hiss lied about passing the documents and was prosecuted for perjury instead. Then Republican Congressman Richard Nixon pursued this case. Due to publicity of the case, Nixon
became Vice President four years later.Another interesting case was that of the Rosenbergs. It all started on September 3rd, 1949 when the Americans learned the Soviet Union exploded the first atom bomb. Most Americans believed that it would take at least three more years for the Soviets to make the technology work. Looking to find a scapegoat, many Americans believed that "evil" Communists had leaked the secret of the bomb. In 1950, German born physicist Klaus Fuchs admitted to giving information to the Soviet Union about the bomb. He brought Ethel and Julius Rosenberg into the case. They were charged with giving info to the Soviet Union which let them make their bomb work. The Rosenbergs were also members of the American Communist party and were also Jewish. They tried to plead the 5th admentment to not incriminate themseles but the court sentenced them to death for being guilty of espionage. There case made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court but the SC did not overturn the original charge. Many people around the world appealed for clemency for the Rosenbergs but there actions were unsuccessful because the Rosenbergs died in the electric chair in 1953 leaving behind two sons to fend for themselves in an increasingly dangerous world.
