History Resources

Inside the Vault: Fight the Red Menace

by Gilder Lehrman Staff

On the December 2, 2021, session of Inside the Vault, Professor Victoria Phillips discussed selected trading cards from the Fight the Red Menace: Children’s Crusade against Communism series. In 1951, the Bowman Bubblegum Company issued forty-eight trading cards as part of a propaganda initiative to teach American children about the threatened spread of communism. Each card features a dramatic, colorful depiction of American military heroes and victories or Communist villains and their atrocities. The text on the reverse uses strong language to focus on the threat posed by Communism, building on fears of infiltration at home and military attacks from abroad.

Click here to download the slides from the presentation.

Featured Documents

USE THE TIMESTAMPS BELOW TO JUMP TO THE TOPICS YOU WANT TO VIEW

  • Introduction into the Trading Cards: 2:16–8:29
  • President Truman: 8:30–13:29
  • Aircraft Campaigns for Children: 13:30–14:30
  • Crusade for Freedom: 15:06–20:34
  • Fear Management: 20:35–22:50
  • Teaching Through Play: 22:55–27:46
  • Uses of the Trading Cards: 27:49–31:28
  • Warfare in the Cards: 32:45–35:33
  • Global Geography in the Cards: 35:35–37:53
  • Important People in the Cards: 37:55–41:22
  • Q&A: 44:34–1:03:08

Additional Resources