The 1960s was a pivotal decade of American history. So many significant things occurred during that decade that changed America and people’s perspective of it. The sixties witnessed many great and unfortunate things. During the 1960s the Vietnam war took place, the civil rights movement became a huge deal, America witnessed the assassination of it’s thirty fifth president, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and the most fortunate event amongst the list was the successful landing of the first man on the moon. What a decade?! Although most of the things mentioned were what seemed to be like the worst of times for Americans, there were many other things happening in America that made people feel like they were living their best life …show more content…
They came up with this name because of the reactions of people during the Love Pageant Rally. People were so calm and relaxed and were just being themselves. The Human Be-In event attracted people of all kinds from all different places. The founders expected to receive positive feedback from the event but things took a turn. With all the exposure and such a huge amount of people attending their were all types of tabloids, media and photographers there. The media had already made hippies to be horrible self indulgent beings, so when this event took place they used it to their advantage to try and prove everyone’s speculation to be true. The founder led intentions of this event was to prove everyone wrong and to let society get the real scoop of the hippie life. They wanted people to take the time to learn of their counterculture, why they are and what they really are about. They wanted people to understand them and the things they do. Of all the mainstream media there, only a few were genuinely interested in learning about the hippie movement. Others could care less and did all they could to prove that society’s opinion of hippies was true. That still did not hinder the hippies movement. Many other events continued to take place and hippies continued to live that life without worry. The Summer of Love was the turning point of the hippie movement. It consisted of the Human Be-In event and the Monterey Pop Festival. They both drew media from every where. Over 100,000 people traveled to the San Francisco in the summer of 1967 to celebrate the counterculture of the hippies. The hippie culture gained widespread attention from the events that took place during the summer of love. They did achieve their goal of trying to spread love and peace but they also were criticized for their use of drug, anti-work attitudes and their immoral sense of life (so people thought). Hippies only felt this way because in their mind they were being
Growing up in the 1960’s was very different then the way we grow in in society today. Life was very different regarding food, family structure, television, values, and morals. Many think life may have been more simple then. The 60’s was a very historic time in history for many reasons. Many young adults are eager to learn about what life was like then. It was a time of social revolution after all.
The documentary “Sixties: Years that Shaped a Generation” illustrates a period in United States history defined by cultural movement. Several citizen led campaigns were developed to challenge long established American institutions and traditions. This age of defiance, cultivated a counter culture which stood against social injustice, racial inequalities, and the war in Vietnam.
The 1960s were turbulent years. The United States was unpopularly involved in the war in Vietnam, and political unrest ran high at colleges and universities across the country.
...ed the rest of his life. My grandfather told me that the sixties were some of the best years of his life. He married the love of his life at the beginning of the decade and by its’ final few years he had three beautiful children that would all go on to live happy lives. The decade had several near disasters but none of them materialized. Overall the sixties was a great time for America. The people were happy, technology was on the move, and the economy was booming. It was also a time where it finally looked like the U.S. was finally pulling ahead of the Soviet Union. We defused a crisis that forced the Soviets to stand down during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They may have beaten us into putting a man into space, but we won the final battle when we landed on the moon. The sixties no doubt had their lows, but they were outweighed by all the highs they brought with them.
Hippies were often portrayed as criminals, subversive to the morals and best interest of the public. Although misunderstood, the hippie had a great impact throughout the country, still surviving today in American culture. The term “hippie” itself became a universal term in the late 1960s. It originated in a 1967 article in Ramparts, entitled “The Social History of the Hippies.” Afterward, the name was captured by the mass media as a label for the people of the new movement.
Many events took place in the 1960’s, but is this time period better than today’s society. The 60’s consist of love, peace, and war. The sixties include the Space Race and colorful clothing. People may say that it is safer or easier to live in the sixties, but it isn’t really , living in a society where that the time a male becomes an adult would be drafted to the Vietnam War or women not having basic rights such as having equality in the workspace . In the sixties President Kennedy and civic activist Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. These are only the few of the negative things that happened throughout the 1960’s. Today’s society is much better.
The Sixties, by Terry H. Anderson, takes the reader on a journey through one of the most turbulent decades in American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '70s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of Johnson's "Great Society," and the growing conflict over Vietnam that nearly tore America apart. The book also navigates through different themes regarding the decade's different currents of social change; including the anti-war movement, the civil rights struggle, and the liberation movements. From the lunch counter sit-in of Greensboro, N.C. in 1960 and the rise of Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Black Power movement at the decade's end, Anderson illustrates the brutality involved in the reaction against civil rights, the radicalization of some of the movement's youth, and the eventual triumphs that would change America forever. He also discusses women's liberation and the feminist movement, as well as the students' rights, gay rights, and environmental movements.
Although the sixties were a decade in which the United States became a more open, more tolerant, and a freer country, in some ways it became less of these things. During the sixties, America intervened in other nations and efforts were made to stop the progress of the civil rights movement. Because of America’s foreign policy and Americans fight against the civil rights movement, it is clear that the sixties in America were not purely a decade of openness, tolerance, and freedom in the United States.
There is many decades that people would call the Decade of change but the 1960’s is the decade that changed the most. The 60’s was a very crazy and wild time because of the historical events that happened. Everyone was starting to experiment with LSD and Other kinds of drugs. There was also a huge surge of musical history that had happened in the 60’s that changed the History of music forever. The 60’s is what I like to call the best decade in history. The 60’s is the decade of change because of the political, technological, and Musical advances that happened in America. The music industry went from poor to the number one hit in America. The technology went from nothing to systems that would change the world, and last but not least America went from a place where blacks were not accepted to everyone getting along. It is crazy to see how the 60’s changed the history of America.
The 1960s is generally thought of as a fun, musical, and free decade, but what was really going on? Between a war in Vietnam, rights movements, and assassinations, the nation was fighting on opposing sides. The world was struggling to overcome inequalities. The government and protestors were working together to change the nation for the better. The nation was in internal turmoil and neither sides were going to budge. The 1960s had many diverse views concerning politics, military and the economy that helped change the nation.
As the 1960s dawned on America, the bald eagle faced unprecedented threats from afar while facing a new internal struggle. As America continued their battle with the Soviet Union, it also saw a clash amongst its people. Terror was brought to the hearts of many as America was on the brink of a Nuclear Holocaust. The 60s conveyed an exploration of the universe beyond earth. A race between Superpowers America and the Soviet Union, led to the first man to ever walk the moon. Not all was bad in the 60s, people would rejoice in many new dance styles that were on the rise. With technology becoming more advance, many TV shows that portrayed American life were being aired. Life in America seemed great as it was disciplined by a great leader, John F. Kennedy. Sadly, with the loss of a great leader Americans became distraught. During the 1960s in cultural and political movements and musical movements, Americans were rebellious, enterprising, and impulsive.
During the summer of love, the diggers helped out and spread the trend of being a hippie. Hippies are always so recognizable then and now with their “long flowing hair, bright clothes, and flowy dresses.” (The Sixties Chronicles 2004) With their noticeable look the hippies believed strongly in individualism. Again shown with their clothes, but also something else. “...where the hippie cry, "Do your own thing!" served to incubate a new cornucopia of causes…” (Stein pg.1) There are all sorts of causes that they fought for then that we have now that is better than what it was before. Some of the causes they fought for were gay rights, the environment, women's liberation, saving the whales, saving the forests and so much more. It had a, “...widespread impact in fashion, art, in the use of illicit drugs…” (Ventre pg.1) They also helped out creating a counterculture movement. During the summer of love there was also bad things happening during this time, Vietnam war was going on. The Summer of Love was a backlash to the war. Most of the people there wanted progress and there were tons of anti-war protests. Although there were still some who resisted and didn’t care that thousands of people were being drafted into the war. “Some methods of change proved healthy, others were damaging, depending on which social observers are to be believed.” (Summer of Love That Changed Music and Culture 2007) While the hippies were out and trying to change the world, some did it while doing
The 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time that eternally changed the culture and humanity of America. It was a time widely known for peace and love when in reality; many minorities were struggling to gain a modicum of equality and freedom. It was a time, in which a younger generation rebelled against the conventional norms, questioning power and government, and insisting on more freedoms for minorities. In addition, an enormous movement began rising in opposition to the Vietnam War. It was a time of brutal altercations, with the civil rights movement and the youth culture demanding equality and the war in Vietnam put public loyalty to the test. Countless African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, women, and college students became frustrated, angry, and disillusioned by the turmoil around them.
Although 1969, was the end of a significant decade, it held possibilities and hope for a new prosperous 10 years. Still in the midst of what was seen to many as the most pointless American war, the young generation especially was desperate to enforce a change. Change was a common theme of the 1960’s, deriving from movements such as the civil rights movements, the second feminist wave, a social revolution, and the anti-war movement. In addition, technology in America was at one of its highest peaks. Events such as the Space Race against the Sov...
The 1950s are characterized as a decade marked by the Cold War and social conformity. It is hard to generalize the lives of millions of Americans, but the values of Americans in the fifties were shaped by two major events: the Great Depression and World War II. After a period of war and poverty conforming to a suburban way of life was a dream come true for Americans.