Following World War II, the possibility of a communist infiltration and overthrow of the

government crept into the minds of Americans who remained in their wartime state of

apprehension. Subsequent events such as the Soviet Union’s success in building a nuclear bomb

only heightened their fears (“Red Scare”). Yet, this underlying trepidation was not a concern of

utmost importance to many until Joseph McCarthy exploited the situation to transform this

previously subtle anxiety into a crisis. McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin, questioned the

loyalty of countless individuals without evidence, costing many their jobs and reputations, to

gain support from fearful Americans who saw him as their protector from the communist agenda

(“Senator McCarthy”). He was an opportunist who propelled American politics into a mass

hysteria of confusion and alarm to ensure his next term. The country was in a perpetual state of

panic under McCarthy's influence, and it was Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith who took the first

step in calming the storm.

Smith was the Senate’s only woman at the time of McCarthy’s rise to power (Widmer).

She was seemingly unbothered by this fact, firmly believing that the amount of respect she

deserved was in no way dependent on her sex. She explained that “ability and proved

performance, rather than sex, are the best standards for political selection just as much as they

are for any other kind of selection” (Lim). Smith was fierce and headstrong, possessing a zeal

that was unheard of for a woman in her time. Although a registered Republican, her party

affiliation would never dictate her views. She was known to vote across party lines, following

her moral compass rather than her fellow Republicans. It was from this that she earned her

nickname, “the conscience of the Senate” (Severo). Smith was a resilient force in Congress,

speaking her mind whatever the cost, and on June 1, 1950, she did so.
 That morning, Smith ran into McCarthy on the subway ride to the Capitol. He examined

her expression and noted, “Margaret, you look very serious. Are you going to make a speech?”

She looked at him firmly and replied, “Yes, and you will not like it” (Boissoneault). When

everyone was gathered in the Senate chamber, Smith rose to deliver her speech, titled “A

Declaration of Conscience.” She stood in front of the entire Senate, knowing that what she was

about to say could result in an accusation that she was a leftist sympathizer. Smith was, in reality,

a fierce anti-communist (Widmer). However, she was disturbed by the way McCarthy used

fear-mongering to deceive citizens. She remained resolute for the duration of her address, in

which she listed all of her concerns with the current state of the Senate. She announced, “I do not

like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain at

the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity” (“Classic Senate Speeches”). This

statement was undoubtedly directed at McCarthy, and although she never called him out by

name, he and everyone else present were certain to whom she was referring.

John F. Kennedy wrote, “it is when his regard for himself is so high that his own

self-respect demands he follow the path of courage and conscience that all benefit” (Kennedy

259). Smith, as Kennedy describes, had too much self-respect to let McCarthy’s baseless

accusations go unchallenged. She refused to let the opportunity to make change pass her by at a

time when someone was making such a disgusting mockery of American values. Although her

assertiveness may have earned her the label, “the devil in disguise of a woman,” it was her

greatest asset and it intimidated her fellow Senators. As Smith concluded her speech, declaring

that it was time for the American people to stop being “victims of totalitarian techniques,”

McCarthy sat two rows behind her, his blood boiling (“Classic Senate Speeches”).
 The risk Smith took when she stood up to make that speech was no small one. It was an

act so bold that only someone as determined as she would be up to the challenge. She understood

the potential consequences and she faced them with strength. In response to her act of courage,

media outlets ripped her to shreds. She was called a communist sympathizer, a traitor to her

country, and “the soft underbelly of the Republican party” (Boissoneault). McCarthy never

forgot what she said. Her words seemed to slash a hole through his ego and in the next few years

he did everything in his power to end her career. He removed her from the Subcommittee on

Investigations and worked tirelessly to see that she lost her next election (“Classic Senate

Speeches”). Most notably, Dwight Eisenhower overlooked her as a potential running mate

because her speech was too controversial (Widmer). Although these repercussions were greatly

disappointing, Smith accepted them as the result of her bravery and refused to regret her actions.

The word “courage” comes from the Latin root “cor”, which means “heart”, and its

original meaning was "[t]o speak one's mind by telling all one's heart” (Brown 23). Smith’s

actions show that she possessed courage in the purest sense of the word. Her “Declaration of

Conscience” was not a political stunt for attention, but a real and raw explanation of her feelings

and beliefs. McCarthy may not have received any punishment as a direct result of Smith’s

speech. It took four years for the American people to finally recognize what she had recognized

so early on. Nonetheless, America owes a debt of gratitude to Margaret Chase Smith. During

times such as these when members of the Republican party are so hesitant to be honest in fear of

being accused of disloyalty, it is essential that we have a role model like Smith to look to for

guidance (Chait). She set an example that one can be both a successful politician and a person

with integrity. Smith is proof that true courage is not present in leaders who make a name for
themselves through demagoguery, but in those who remember their values in the face of

adversity.
 Bibliography

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Would.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 13 Sept. 2018,

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e-would-180970279/.

Brown C. Brené. I Thought It Was Just Me: Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture

of Shame. Gotham, 2007.

Chait, Jonathan. “The Republicans’ Only Plan Is to Keep Pretending Trump Isn’t a Huge Liar.”

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Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage. Harper, 1964.

“Red Scare.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 1 June 2010,

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www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mccarthy-says-communists-are-in-state-department.

Severo, Richard. “Margaret Chase Smith Is Dead at 97; Maine Republican Made History Twice.”

The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 May 1995,

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Widmer, Ted. How Margaret Chase Smith Stood up to Joseph McCarthy - and Won - The Boston

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