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The Begininng
After WW2 relations US-CCCP relations where not good and the government was concerned that communist and other subversive influence were infiltrating the government. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_9835 -
Truman's True Motives
In a letter to the Pennsylvania governer, Truman declared his true opinions, "People are very much wrought up about the Communist 'bugaboo' but I am of the opinion that the country is perfectly safe so far as Communism is concerned - we have too many sane people." Many historians have seen the order as a political play to please FBI director Hoover. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_9835 -
Executive Order 9835 was enacted
In March of 1947, Truman ordered that every federal employee should be able to show “complete and unswerving loyalty.” Employees and potential employees would undergo a background check for ties with subversive organiztions.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-orders-loyalty-checks-of-federal-employees -
Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations
Published in April of 1947, the List of Subversive Organizations was a list of organizations deemed radical or subversive. If an employee was associated with an organization on this list, he/she could be fired. This stifling of organizations is see as a major breach of the 1st amendment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General%27s_List_of_Subversive_Organizations -
200 Government Employees Fired!
The order resulted in about 200 people dismissed from government positions because there was evidence that they had ties to subversive organizations. http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Harry_Truman_Executive_Order-9835#.VN0K5tX3-ix -
Executive Order 10450
In 1953, President Eisenhower replaced Executive Order 9835 with Executive Order 10450. The new criteria made it seem more of a suitibilty test rather a test for rooting out people with fringe political ties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_10450 -
Peters vs. Hobby
The Supreme Court decided the firing of a government employee was uncalled for. Since the order had already been dismantled, the case didn't have much of an impact.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_9835 -
Elks Magazine Makes a Bold Statement
Elks Magazine "There is no excuse for any American citizen becoming affiliated with a group on the Attorney General's list today." This is great example of the different mindset people were in during the Cold War that allowed this questionable order to enacted.
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/fall/agloso.html
