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November 18, 2020 39 mins

Since its very inception, America has always had to be on the lookout for spies not just from foreign adversaries, but also from its own citizens. Alger Hiss, along with Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, all American citizens, were former members of the Communist Party (a party that still exists in America today.) They were all accused of passing American secrets to the U.S.S.R. in the 1940’s and were brought to trial in the early 1950’s. In this episode, we take a deep dive into what those three were accused of, what they were found guilty of, and what their ultimate sentence was. 

Episode Edits:

  1. While most federal crimes have a five-year statute of limitations, acts of espionage generally carry a 10-year statute of limitations.
  2. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were married in 1939, the same year Julius graduated from City College of New York.
  3. Julius Rosenberg was fired from the Army Signal Corps in 1945 because they found out he was a Communist.

 Episode Resources: Alger Hiss (1904-1996)

Episode Resources: Julius Rosenberg (1918-1953) and Ethel Rosenberg (1915-1953)

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