What was the communist red scare?

The Communist Red Scare primarily refers to two periods in U.S. history marked by intense fear of communism and its potential influence. The first occurred after World War I, during the 1910s and early 1920s, fueled by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and domestic labor unrest. The second wave unfolded during the late 1940s and 1950s amid the Cold War, characterized by McCarthyism, where government officials, including Senator Joseph McCarthy, led aggressive investigations and accusations against suspected communists. This era saw widespread paranoia, violations of civil liberties, and significant social and political repercussions.