House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Un-American Activities Committee, better known as HUAC, initially began in the 1930s in order to expose Nazi connections in the United States and extreme leftist groups. However, in the 1940s and 1950s it transformed into a body charged with investigating Communism in American society, especially Hollywood.
HUAC would issue subpoenas for suspected Communists or fellow travelers to testify in court, where usually the Committee would question them extensively about their former or current political affiliations and ask about others who may have been involved in Communism. Some who subpoenaed cooperated openly with the court while others invoked their Fifth Amendment rights. Yet, the invocation of the Fifth Amendment often gave the impression that the suspects had something to hide and furthered suspicion around those individuals.
HUAC reached its peak in the late 1940s and early 1950s and eventually lost credibility due to corruption and unsubstantiated claims. Perhaps HUAC is best known for its involvement specifically with a group of suspected Communist actors and screenwriters dubbed "The Hollywood Ten".
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