an ideology is a set of beliefs which shapes a person's’ understanding of society and the world

a communist is a person who believes that wealth should be shared equally between people

paranoia is a situation where people are are unreasonably or excessively scared of something

a situation where people refuse to deal or interact with a group of others who they consider to be bad is known as being blacklisted

McCarthyism and the second Red Scare

History

In this unit, pupils considered the impact that WW2 had on the American people, the economy and their relationship with different ideologies. In 'USA Civil Rights: how successful was the American civil rights movement?', pupils will study the efforts that different groups in American society made to gain equality.

In 'USA New Deal and WW2: how far did the American economy recover?', pupils studied the measures taken to restore the American economy and their effects. In 'USA Society: how far did American society change after WW2?', pupils will consider the impact that WW2 had on the American people, the economy and their relationship with different ideologies.

In this unit, pupils learn about the changes that took place in American society after the Second World War. They examine post-war popular culture, McCarthyism and the concept of the American Dream in the 1940s and 1950s.

USA Society: how far did American society change after WW2?

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Depiction or discussion of serious mental health issues including eating disorders, self-harm, suicide or attempted suicide, or the aftermath of such an event.

Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

set of beliefs which shapes a person's understanding of society

belief that all wealth should be shared equally between people

making strong accusations against people without proper proof

Match each of the keywords to their correct definitions.

Write the missing word. HUAC stands for House {{}} Activities Committee.

Who was the USA's superpower rival after 1945?

How many names of communists working in government did Joseph McCarthy initially claim to have in 1950?

There were only hunts for communists working in government.

There were only hunts for communists working outside of the government.

There were hunts for communists working in a wide range of careers.

There were only hunts for communists from foreign backgrounds.

Which statement is most accurate about the second Red Scare?

Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.

Write the missing word: Older Americans worried that teenage culture and rebelliousness meant that a {{}} gap was being created in post-war America.

Most children remained in school for longer.

Most children began leaving school earlier.

How did education in the USA change during the 1940s?

What type of main character was featured in the 1950s film 'The Wild One'?

Lyrics often contained sexual references.

Why were Rock and Roll songs often popular with teenagers?

How did cinema attendance change during the 1940s and 1950s?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Adult supervision required

Exit Quiz