9. The Red Scare and McCarthyism
In the late 1940s and 1950s, intense anti-communist paranoia led to blacklists, ruined careers, and deep suspicion among Americans. Senator Joseph McCarthy’s aggressive accusations of communist infiltration in the U.S. government fueled a culture of fear and division. His reckless tactics, including televised hearings, ultimately led to his censure by the Senate in 1954 (history.com).
