What happened in Vermont when the anti-Communist fear known as the “Red Scare” swept the country? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Rick Winston, author of the recently published “Red Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the McCarthy Era,” explores some forgotten history as we see how a small, rural, “rock-ribbed Republican” state with a historically libertarian streak handled the hysteria of the time.

There were several fascinating stories in the Green Mountains, including a high-profile academic firing, a conservative senator who helped take down Joseph McCarthy, controversies involving left-leaning summer residents, and some veteran newspaper editors who spoke out against McCarthy’s tactics.

See ”‘Red Scare in the Green Mountains’ Explores Vermont’s McCarthyite Past” for background on the book on which this talk is based.

Read Red Scare in the United States to get a sense of the larger context of McCarthyism.

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