By 1950, it seemed that Joseph McCarthy, the junior Senator from Wisconsin, was doomed to fade into obscurity. But with a single speech in Wheeling, West Virginia on February 9 of that year, he ignited a firestorm that would forever change American politics—and carve out his space in history. Speaking before a small Women’s Republican Club, McCarthy claimed to have a list of 205 "known communists" in the State Department, sparking a nationwide hysteria over subversive elements in the United Stat

If there was a single moment that launched Joseph McCarthy's crusade, it was this speech at Wheeling, West Virginia. | American Experience | PBS

Before his name became synonymous with political witch hunts, Joseph McCarthy was simply a senator from Wisconsin. Tune in or stream #McCarthyPBS Mon, Jan 6 at 9/8c on American Experience | PBS. | PBS