Flowers and Acid
Flowers and Acid
Call them freaks, the underground, the counterculture, flower children, or just simply hippies, they are all loose labels for the youth culture of the 60’s that transformed life in the West as we knew it, introducing the spirit of freedom, of hope, of happiness, of change, and of revolution (Miles 9). The years that made up the 1960’s were some of the most exciting and turbulent years in American history. The post World War II baby boomers grew up. A president and a prominent civil rights leader were assassinated. The war in Vietnam dragged on for years. Millions of Americans began to openly experiment with psychoactive drugs, and rock and roll music became a cacophonous national anthem (Kallen 10). Through the eyes of the older generation at the time, the hippie movement was simply a large group of lazy teenagers who were sick of following the rules. However, the members of the movement had intentions of making a lasting impact. The history behind the hippie movement shows how the counterculture continues to shape America’s modern society, especially for women.
Throughout the 60’s, until the last American helicopter escaped from the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, the anti-war movement was a continual presence (Miles 10). As the war dragged on, the movement grew to include millions of Americans, many of whom previously supported the war. Which begs the question, what made the Vietnam War different? Unlike wars in previous decades, the Vietnam War was the first to be televised (Lee). Almost every evening, Americans could turn on the evening news and see the uncensored footage of burning villages and dead American soldiers (Lee). People began openly renouncing the war. For example, the burning of draft cards was common, and the widespread displays of revolt showed a nation how their youth felt about the war, and moreover the entire U.S. government. Rejecting the war and its efforts was
Call them freaks, the underground, the counterculture, flower children, or just simply hippies, they are all loose labels for the youth culture of the 60’s that transformed life in the West as we knew it, introducing the spirit of freedom, of hope, of happiness, of change, and of revolution (Miles 9). The years that made up the 1960’s were some of the most exciting and turbulent years in American history. The post World War II baby boomers grew up. A president and a prominent civil rights leader were assassinated. The war in Vietnam dragged on for years. Millions of Americans began to openly experiment with psychoactive drugs, and rock and roll music became a cacophonous national anthem (Kallen 10). Through the eyes of the older generation at the time, the hippie movement was simply a large group of lazy teenagers who were sick of following the rules. However, the members of the movement had intentions of making a lasting impact. The history behind the hippie movement shows how the counterculture continues to shape America’s modern society, especially for women.
Throughout the 60’s, until the last American helicopter escaped from the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, the anti-war movement was a continual presence (Miles 10). As the war dragged on, the movement grew to include millions of Americans, many of whom previously supported the war. Which begs the question, what made the Vietnam War different? Unlike wars in previous decades, the Vietnam War was the first to be televised (Lee). Almost every evening, Americans could turn on the evening news and see the uncensored footage of burning villages and dead American soldiers (Lee). People began openly renouncing the war. For example, the burning of draft cards was common, and the widespread displays of revolt showed a nation how their youth felt about the war, and moreover the entire U.S. government. Rejecting the war and its efforts was