HIST 102 · Capstone Research Project

"Witches Everywhere" — Research Notes

McCarthy, Venona & the Soviet Archives · Richland Community College

Instructions

How to Use This Form

An Archival Research Database has been prepared for you with government roles, Soviet code names, verbatim archival quotes, and citations for all 10 individuals below. Open it in a separate tab and use it as your primary reference. For each person, copy the code name, quotes, and citation details from the database into this form — then write your own assessment, confidence rating, and spy/sympathizer classification. The thinking and judgment are yours; the source-hunting has been done for you.

Field Guide — what to include in each section:

Government RoleAgency or department, position title, and years of service (e.g., "State Department economist, 1941–47"). Find this in the database.
Soviet Code NameThe cryptonym used in KGB/GRU cables (e.g., "Ales," "Page"). Note the source where the match is confirmed. Find this in the database.
McCarthy's AccusationSummarize what McCarthy specifically claimed: Communist Party member, security risk, policy influencer, etc. Include his case number if listed in the speech.
Venona QuoteCopy the verbatim passage provided in the database. Include the cable date, sending office, and citation.
Vassiliev / Gorsky QuoteCopy the verbatim passage provided in the database. Include the notebook reference and citation.
Spy or Sympathizer?Classify based on evidence: confirmed agent (recruited, tasked, passed material), probable agent (strong circumstantial evidence), communist sympathizer (ideological ties, no clear espionage), or unclear / not confirmed. Explain your reasoning in 1–2 sentences. This is your own judgment — not in the database.
Evidence Confidence (1–5)1 = weak or circumstantial only. 5 = direct cable + Gorsky memo confirmation. Be honest about gaps. This is your own judgment.
Overall AssessmentChoose Strongly Confirmed, Partially Confirmed, Not Found, or Other — then add your own observations in the Notes field. This is your own judgment.

📂 Research Tools & Source Links

🗄️ Archival Research Database ← Start Here NSA Venona Project Decrypts Vassiliev Notebooks — Wilson Center White Notebook No. 2 / Gorsky Memo (PDF) Gorsky's List — AlgerHiss.com Haynes Reference Page Americans in the Venona Papers (Wikipedia) McCarthy Senate Speech — Congressional Record (PDF)

Part I — Individual Research Entries

Part II — Final Summary

📊 Summary & Reflection

Downloads a plain-text file of all your entries. Submit this file with your assignment.

✓ Progress saved

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