⚠ Academic Integrity Notice
This planner is a scaffolding tool — it is designed to help you organize your own thinking, not to substitute for it. Every field you complete should reflect your own analysis of the primary sources you examined in the Research Notes form. Do not use AI tools to generate, rewrite, or complete any portion of this assignment.
Please review the class AI use policy before proceeding. If you are uncertain what is permitted, ask before submitting.
All submitted work — including the exported .txt file from this form — will be submitted to AI detection tools as part of the grading process.
Write your main argument in one clear, arguable sentence. Your thesis should take a position on whether McCarthy's accusations were substantially correct, largely unfounded, or something more nuanced. You may copy and paste your draft thesis directly from the Final Summary section of your Research Notes form and refine it here. You will return to this sentence in your introduction and conclusion.
Your introduction should move through four beats in order: (1) open with the standard textbook "witch hunt" narrative — what most Americans believe about McCarthyism; (2) introduce McCarthy's "I have in my hand" claim as the focal moment of the controversy; (3) state your thesis clearly; (4) provide a brief road map — identify the 2–3 specific cases or lines of evidence your paper will use to support that thesis. The road map tells your reader exactly what the paper will argue and on what grounds.
Briefly summarize the standard narrative: McCarthy as reckless demagogue, innocent victims, Salem witch hunt comparisons. You may quote the dictionary definition of "McCarthyism" here.
Briefly introduce the 1950 Wheeling speech and what McCarthy claimed. Keep this to 2–3 sentences — you will develop the evidence in a body paragraph.
State your argument clearly. You may copy your thesis from Step 1 or refine it slightly for the introduction.
Identify the specific cases, cables, or archival findings your paper will use to support your thesis. This is not a list of topics — it is a preview of your actual argument. Name the individuals and sources. 2–4 sentences.
Combine all four beats above into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 175–225 words.
Write 4 body paragraphs following the structure: Topic Sentence → Evidence → Analysis. Paragraphs 1–3 build your core argument from your archival findings. Paragraph 4 is dedicated to the McCarran Committee. A fifth paragraph addressing counterarguments and complexity is optional but strongly recommended.
Combine topic sentence, evidence, and analysis into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 150–200 words.
Combine into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 150–200 words.
Combine into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 150–200 words.
Combine into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 150–200 words.
Acknowledge McCarthy's flaws, exaggerations, or cases where the archival evidence is weak or absent. A strong essay addresses complexity rather than ignoring it — showing you can hold the evidence accountable even when it supports your thesis makes your argument more credible, not less. If you skip this paragraph, your essay is still complete.
Combine into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 150–200 words.
Your conclusion should do three things: (1) restate your thesis in different words — do not copy it verbatim; (2) briefly summarize your two or three strongest pieces of evidence; (3) end with a broader statement about what the Soviet archives ultimately reveal about the "witch hunt" myth and its legacy.
Name your 2–3 most compelling findings — the cases with the clearest archival confirmation.
What does this evidence ultimately tell us? What should we make of the "witch hunt" label in light of the archives?
Combine the three parts into a single flowing paragraph. Aim for 120–180 words.
List every source you cited in your essay. Include specific Venona cables (with date and sending office), Vassiliev Notebook references (notebook number and page), and the Congressional Record entry for McCarthy's speech. Add any secondary sources you consulted. Use Chicago, MLA, or Turabian format — be consistent.
What surprised you most while completing this assignment? Did the archives change how you think about McCarthyism, Cold War politics, or historical memory? Did any finding complicate your initial assumptions?