Ideological, social, regional and ethnic divisions: McCarthyism; civil rights; youth culture; protest and mass media
Between 1945 and 1975, deep divisions tore through American society. Fear of communism, racial inequality, generational rebellion, and the Vietnam War all pulled the USA apart from the inside.
Real World
Senator McCarthy's 1950 speech at Wheeling, West Virginia — where he claimed to hold a list of 205 known communists in the State Department — triggered four years of televised hearings that ended careers before he was censured by the Senate in 1954.
Exam Focus
When writing about McCarthyism, link the fear of internal subversion explicitly to Cold War external tensions for higher-level analysis.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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