The Change in American Society in 1967

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The Change in American Society in 1967

1967 was an exciting time of great social and technological change with unforgettable fashion, new musical styles, civil rights, a controversial war in Vietnam, peace marches, flower power, drug abuse, great TV and film, and sexual freedom. People who lived at this time can think back to a time with both good and bad memories, some of which are of partying and good fun, and some of bad choices. In any case these memories serve as a reminder that 1967 was a mixture of cause and effect events, both positive and negative, all resulting in many forms of freedom of expression.

The war in Vietnam was the main focus of many of the major things during the sixties. Thousands of men were being drated into service for the Vietnam War each year and many were scared. Because of this went to Canada where refuge was offered. Media reports from overseas were receieved back increasingly gruesome, and televisien showed the death and destruction created by the bombing of U.S. forces. By the end of 1967, 500,000 American soldiers were hopelessly killed in the Vietnam jungle. They used huge amounts of ammunition while gaining really nothing at all. Most soldiers were seen as horrible men burning villages, destroying rice crops, killing women and little children. The nation soon began to take a harder look at the United States intervention in Vietnam and began to wonder if the war was even worth fighting for.

The Civil Rights movement and the endless war in Vietnam were the two main causes for social protest in 1967. Since the end of the Civil War many organizations had been created to promote the goals of racial justice and equality in America. However progress was slow and it wasn’t until around 1967 that a hundred years of effort would begin to gain the attention that it needed in order to force a change for the better. peaceful methods and believed change could be affected by working around the established system. There were tons of marches, rallies, strikes, riots, and violent confrontations with the police. The violence of racism would claim the lives of young and old African Americans. Some Restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, public facilities, and school systems were still segregated. The African-American community, being the minority, depended on the support of the white population. Those caught up in the hippie movement racial justice and equality to the heart, and then put it into action.

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