8.2: Chamber of Commerce of the United States: “Communist Infiltration in the United States: Its Nature and How to Combat It” (1946)

The United States Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy group that originated in 1912, embraced anti-communism during the Cold War years because its members felt threatened by the existence of anti-capitalist sentiments around the world. Having thrived during two world wars, American businesses wanted to expand internationally. These businesses required political support for that expansion from American citizens to get the federal government to protect their interests worldwide. By labeling its political enemies as communists and trying to persuade the noncommitted that the chamber’s interests were identical to American interests, this section of a 1946 Chamber of Commerce leaflet illustrates the manner in which American business helped bring the Cold War to the home front.