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In the 1950s the United States was marked by economic growth and an increase in manufacturing and home construction due to the post WWII economic boom. The Cold War also began during this time frame and brought with it many conflicts that helped create the proliferation of a politically conservative environment throughout the country. The fear of communism resulted in many Congressional hearings and prevalence of an anti communist sentiment. During this time period society was characterized by a spirit of conformity and conservatism. The film, “The Beat Generation: An American Dream,” described this era as “…socially conservative and highly materialistic in nature.” (The Beat Generation: An American Dream. Dir. Janet Forman. Perf. Steve Allen, David Amram, Amiri Baraka. 1987). Major events that occurred during the era include the Korean War, the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and an anti communist sentiment resulting in the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Although the 1950s is categorized as a time of compliance and conformity in United States history, it was also a period that triggered social unrest resulting in the social upheaval of the 1960s (Francev, Kimberly, Ph.D. "Lectures 1-9." Lecture. 11 Feb. 2013. Www.d2l.arizona.edu. 01 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013). This paper will outline all of the social, political, and economic conditions of the 1950s that helped create the climate of social unrest in the 1960s.…
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The hippie subculture that was born in San Francisco in the 1960’s came from nowhere. As unlikely as life forming on Earth billions of years ago, new political ideals oozed from a seemingly disengaged primordial ooze of activists and idealists. Foner says, “the rise of a protest movement among white youth came as a complete surprise” (Give me Liberty!, 1103). A new age of free thinkers, inspired by a variety of factors found themselves questioning their government, challenging the steady diet of “propoganda” they had been force-fed. The counterculture was historic in that “millions of young people openly rejected the values and behaviors of their elders” (Give me Libery!, 1112) Historically, the difference between oppression and revolution…
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The flapper is an iconic image in United States cultural history. She defined a decade and she symbolized the country’s reaction to a major war. At the end of World War I in 1918, both social and political foundations in American took a dramatic turn. From these changes, women of the twenties began to defy social norms and distinguish themselves from women in the 1910s and 1930s. The women of this decade had a newfound social liberty, as it was a major period of change. Conservatives and liberals were battling…
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Beginning in the early 1920’s, America found itself in a frenzy of revolutionary movements that would shift the everyday lives of American citizens and pave the way to the modern era. A struggle between old ideas of conservatism and new liberal movements surfaced during the “roaring twenties”. The new movements that began rearing their heads during this time period consisted of liberal political ideas, the advancements of rights for the common man and woman, and reforms to our social culture.…
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They experimented with drugs and casual sex leading to STD’s and a lacking work ethic. The Hippies rebelled against the Vietnam war. They lived in Communal living which scared the U.S. government since this was during the time of the Cold War with Russia. They did not like the idea of their people starting to imitate the lifestyles of the Russians, their enemies. They helped Americans come to a point of expressing themselves although the things they did were not good and something we can learn from. Although the what the hippies did when they were rebelling was not ideal they were rebelling against a something that was worthwhile. Both groups of people were rebelling against conformity which was a good thing for America to get past and for Americans to start expressing…
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In the duration of one year, 1968, the American national mood shifted from general confidence and optimism to chaotic confusion. Certainly the most turbulent twelve months of the post-WWII period and arguably one of the most disturbing episodes the country has endured since the Civil War, 1968 offers the world a glimpse into the tumultuous workings of a revolution. Although the entire epoch of the 1960's remains significant in US history, 1968 stands alone as the pivotal year of the decade; it was the moment when all of the nation's urges toward violence, sublimity, diversity, and disorder peaked to produce a transformation great enough to blanket an entire society. While some may superficially disagree, the evidence found in the Tet Offensive, race relations, and the counterculture's music of the period undeniably affirm 1968 as a turning point in American history.…
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For much of the 1970s, Americans struggled with economic problems, including inflation, energy shortages, income stagnation, and deindustrialization. These challenges highlighted the limits of postwar prosperity and forced Americans to consider lowering their economic expectations. In the midst of this gloomy economic climate, they also sought political and cultural resolutions to upheavals of the 1960s. A movement for environmental protection, widely supported, led to new laws and an awareness of nature’s limits. Meanwhile, the battle for civil rights entered a second stage, expanding to encompass women’s rights and gay rights, the rights of alleged prisoners and criminals, and, in the realm of racial injustice, focusing on the problem of producing concrete results rather than legislation. Many liberals cheered these developments, but another effect was to strengthen a new, more conservative social mood that began to challenge liberal values in politics and society more generally.…
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During the 1960s, young adults, members of the “baby boom” generation, participated in a frontal attack on America society and its institutions, condemning the nation’s misuse of military power around the globe, especially Vietnam, and its indifference to oppression and inequality at home. Women of diverse class, race, and ethnic backgrounds devoted tremendous energy to the political movements of the era, including the civil rights and Black Power struggles and the anti-war, anti-poverty, and labor movements. Two events in 1961 signaled that the 1960’s would be different from the male dominated agenda of the past: President Kennedy’s creation of a Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, and the Women’s Strike for Peace. Both were rooted…
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American society during the decade of the 1950s served as somewhat of a “kickstarter” for how the U.S. as a nation became what it is today. This decade’s society is about the massive changes that were made to the country and how its citizens operated together. Major events took place in this society and changed things that can still be seen today, such as transportation, rights for all citizens, and the population expansion to even the outermost areas of the nation. Influential American figures that fueled these changes in 1950s society include Rosa Parks, who contributed to the growing presence of civil rights along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, whose efforts provided a prospering society…
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When thinking of the social movements that took place throughout the sixties, it can be difficult to focus on just one due to the array of people and movements that wanted a change in the United States. Many movements shared similar ideals and visions but one movement in particular, The Youth International Party, took their vision to a new level; one of "political theater." The Youth International Party, better known as the Yippies, a derivative of the former name and the "hippie" movement also popular throughout the sixties were a "highly theatrical far left political party" that emerged in the United States in 1967. Their movement had no formal membership or official hierarchy but rather consisted of mainly rebellious teens and young adults…
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While the fight for civil rights was being protested, so were other things, putting an end to the Vietnam war was one of them. When they would protest for these things, they would have peace marches, they would burn draft cards, they would act out against societies norms. For example: excessively using exoctic drugs and completely letting go of their sexual morals (PBS). They liked the idea of speaking out for what they believe in, trying to make a difference. “When looking at the major political and social events that occurred in 1969... The rise of intolerant or unsavory political activity was paralleled with an advancement of the Counterculture movement. These two lines rise until they peak in August 1969, when the government started to react more harshly to any dissent among its citizens with an equal increase in the protest action of the hippies” (Freccia). With every rise of action that the government had, the counterculture made even with. Eventually, getting to the worst it was going to be, and then it all began to…
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The American movement for women’s liberation and rights was undoubtedly the most progressive in the decades that followed the Second World War. The second wave of feminism that ensued in the 1960s and 70s redirected the goals and ambitions in the fight for gender equality in many aspects. This new wave of liberal reform allowed women to break free from the domestic sphere from the conservative restraints of the 1950s, which have traditionally limited a women’s access to the same political, economic, and educational rights as men. While the fight for women’s equality started to make real headway post World War II, the fight for women’s rights has existed long before then. This can be seen in the Antebellum reforms or the first wave of feminism from the early 19th century to the early 20th century.…
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“When nothings right, go left” (anonyms). This quote is defines the underlying philosophy behind two distinct, yet commonly confused counter cultures hippies and hipsters. One marked the time of the 70’s, while other plays a role in society today. The hippies are stereotyped as peace lovers, bell-bottoms aficionados, and supporters flower power; the hipsters are immersed in indie rock, avoiding labels, fitting into skinny jeans, and being as non-mainstream as feasible. These two cultures are sometimes considered interchangeable is due to their left wing values; focus on the arts and music, unique fashion choices, and offbeat ideals, but when comparing their codes, meaning, “a set of practices familiar to users of the medium operating within a broad cultural framework,” it communicates two very distinct stories (Chandler 148).…
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(Rawls and Walton, "California History" 2012) The hippie movement mainly appeals to the youth as a social protest and rebellion against society. One significance of the hippie movement was the introduction of a drug called lysergic acid diethylamide or commonly known as LSD. (Rawls and Walton, "California History" 2012) LSD users or experimenters often felt "deeply moving, exhilarating, and self-revealing and others users would feel "panic, bizarre, and suicidal behavior." (Rawls and Walton, "California History" 2012) "Flower children" or "the love generation" were the terms often used by the news to describe the hippie movement in 1966. (Rawls and Walton, "California History" 2012) The hippies were against war and often place flowers in guns of the police and soldiers. (Encyclopedia: Hippies The leaders of the hippie movement were seeking to establish a new communal freedom and remove themselves from full society to a peace and love society. (Rawls and Walton, "California History" 2012) As the hippie movement was increasing in popularity, the American arm forces were increasing soldiers. (Rawls and Walton, "California History" 2012) The hippies challenged the society norms such as the environment and began the feminist movement. (http://legacy-hippie-movement.e-monsite.com/) The hippies started the movement of "reduce,…
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Along with its strong impact on religion, counterculture greatly impacted several aspects of politics, specifically environmental politics. Before the mid 1960s, most environmental campaigning was based on the preservation of American wilderness and protecting it from the invasion of urban development and technology. Due to the increasingly complicated politics of the 1960s, the strong division between wilderness and technology was not as effective after this time period, which lead to changes within the environmentalist movement. There was a change of focus in counterculture environmentalism from preserving the untouched wilderness to protecting the environment as a whole. While there were still some youths during this time that moved to the…
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