Essay on The Political Conflict During The 1950 ' S

The 1950’s was a time of financial prosperity, political paranoia and social prowess. U.S. citizens were content with conforming to the universal standards of American society and patriotism was at an all time high. However, as the youth began to formulate new opinions regarding their strict lifestyles, the counterculture movement began to gain speed. As the decade came to a close, the American youth started to revolt against the norms of 50 's society and started a strong, controversial movement that remained strong throughout the 60 's and 70’s. The main political conflict during the 1950’s was the communist threat. McCarthyism played a major role 1950’s and caused a massive “Red Scare” throughout the U.S. This scare was evident in every corner of the country and weeded out the communists that were living within American culture. The severity of the accusations forced Americans to conform to the same standards and norms.Many victims of the postwar Red Scare were hounded for activities they had engaged in a decade or more before (Wall 1). From Karl Marx publishing the Communist Manifesto in 1848 to the Bolshevik revolution in 1919, Americans knew communism could not be allowed to spread to the U.S. (Ember 1). Along with the fear of rapid communist expansion, or the “Domino Affect”, Americans knew that relations between their country and Russia were very fragile. One wrong word could have caused a nuclear bomb to destroy Washington, DC. Bomb shelters were popular…