Margaret Chase Smith’s 1950 Declaration of Conscience Speech

Abstract

In 1948 Margaret Chase Smith of Maine became the first woman elected to the Senate entirely on her own merit. She went on to enjoy a long and distinguished career in Congress. The highlight of this career was Smith’s 1950 speech against foe McCarthy, known as her Declaration of Conscience. In the following article, Dennis Morrison analyzes the speech and traces its origins to Smith’s early life in Maine.