A Declaration of Conscience

A Declaration of Conscience

From Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson

June 1, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

This episode discusses Margaret Chase Smith's courageous speech against McCarthyism and her call for integrity within the Republican Party.

May 31, 2026 Margaret Chase Smith was elected represent Maine as a Republican in the House after her husband, who held that seat, died in 1940, Smith served three terms in the House and then was elected to the Senate in 1948, Anti-New Deal Republicans were insisting that the US government was sliding toward communism, Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, claimed he had a list of communists working for the State Department, McCarthy’s charges were unproven, but fellow Republicans did not protest, except for Senator Smith, On June 1, 1950, Smith made an eloquent speech in the Senate that bluntly challenged McCarthy, and condemned the leaders in her party who were supporting him and were making wild accusations, She wanted to see President Harry Truman replaced in the next election, but not with a Republican regime without integrity, Her speech presented a Declaration of Conscience to her party, She was largely ignored at the time, but four years later the Senate condemned McCarthy, Smith would be remembered for her courage, while McCarthy has gone down in history as a disgrace to the Senate and to the country. Watch today's recording here…

People in this episode

Host: Heather Cox Richardson

Topics covered

  • political courage
  • McCarthyism
  • Republican Party history
  • Senate speeches
  • American history

Keywords

  • Margaret Chase Smith
  • Joseph McCarthy
  • Harry Truman
  • Declaration of Conscience
  • political integrity

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Maine

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