Final answer:
The year 1968 was described as "the year that shattered America" due to a series of events that caused significant disruption and polarization in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The year 1968 was described as "the year that shattered America" due to a series of events that caused significant disruption and polarization in the United States. Some of these events include:
- Protests against paternalism in marriage ceremonies and beauty pageants, led by women who sought to challenge traditional gender roles.
- Student protests on major campuses across the country, highlighting issues such as race, the war, the environment, and social justice.
- Massive protests, including the massacre of students in Mexico, barricades in Paris, and the crushing of a democratic revolution in Czechoslovakia.
- A wave of assassinations and riots in the United States that deeply divided the nation, alongside the election of a controversial president.
All these events contributed to the perception that 1968 was a year of tremendous upheaval and shattered the American society.