McCarthyism was a time when individual rights and freedoms were overlooked to prevent the spread of communism within the US

true or false

True. McCarthyism was a period in the United States during the 1950s characterized by intense anti-communist sentiment and persecution of those suspected of being communists or communist sympathizers. Many individuals, including innocent people, were targeted, investigated, and blacklisted during this time without regard for their rights or freedoms.