Baby Boom In The 1960's

The 1950s and the 1960s had many similarities, though they had many differences as well. Their similarities and differences include: the politics, the economy, the society, and the culture of both decades. In the 1950s, North Korea moved into South Korea and began a civil war between the two parallel countries. The reason for this dispute was the border lines as well as guerrilla fighting in the South, which created a greater tension on the issue. The reason why the U.S entered the Korean War was so that the Soviet Union would not gain another nation and, in turn, more power. Like the 50s, our country was also at war with another country in the 60s. This time, the U.S was at war with Vietnam. The U.S entered the war because the

The American birthrate exploded after World War II. The baby boom occurred from 1945 to 1961. More than 65 million children were born in the United States. This estimated that a child was born every seven seconds. There were several factors that contributed to the baby boom. First, young couples who had delayed marriage during World War II and the korean War could now marry, buy homes, and begin their families. Additionally, the government encouraged the growth of families by offering GI benefits for home purchases. Lastly, on television and in magazines, popular culture celebrated pregnancy, parenthood, and large families.

When one hears the name Kennedy, what comes to mind? Many families have multiple icons in the political scene; the Kennedys are no exception. Some think of John F. Kennedy and his assassination. Others think of Jacqueline Kennedy and her elegance, style, and grace. Still others think of Bobby, Rose, or Caroline. Others think of yet another Kennedy, Ted Kennedy and the car crash that wrecked his career on Chappaquiddick Island. Kennedy’s response to the accident ruined his chances of ever becoming president and raised questions about the accident across the nation. If handled properly, the Chappaquiddick incident would not have become a national ordeal. Instead, Kennedy’s irresponsibility and drunkenness led to the incident on Chappaquiddick

During the 1950’s we see an economic boom in America. A large amount of this growth has to do with the money made by Corporations with Military Contracts making goods and supplies for the United States Military. With the Cold War beginning the push for new invention in aviation, rocket propulsion, energy, and even automobiles was at the forefront of national defense. Industrial giants like Boeing, General Dynamics, and Raytheon received 60% if their income from the Defense Department. Ten percent of the domestic (GDP) was from military spending. With fears of falling behind the Soviet Union, gaining any edge in innovation was important. The government even funneled millions of dollars into American Universities for scholarships and research

The student body at Kent State numbered about 20,000 and had been considered conservative, but not overly political. In fact they were thought of as rather passive politically. The shootings were a culmination of four days of demonstrations by members of the student body. The students were protesting the invasion of Cambodia by American forces.

At this point in time, the Vietnam War was in progress; young people were getting drafted left and right, and the troops overseas were getting absolutely slaughtered. There was a multitudinous amount of protest surrounding the war, and when tensions started running too high, protests became dangerous and violent. After extreme aggression through assault on police officers, bonfires, and looting was shown during a student protest at Kent State on May 1, 1970, the Kent mayor was forced to declare a state of emergency the very next day. The National Guard started to arrive on May 2 to keep the peace, but when they got to the scene, they found the Kent State ROTC building on fire. No one knows who started the fire, but there were many protesters around the building cheering. When first responders arrived, they were yelled at, and some people even destroyed their water hoses. The National Guard was forced to use tear gas to disperse the

On July 18, 1969, Senator Edward Kennedy found himself fighting to escape from a car that had been driven off a bridge and into a pond. Along with him was Miss Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign secretary for the deceased Senator Robert Kennedy. Even though the senator escaped, Miss Kopechne did not have the same, fortunate fate. At this moment, Kennedy fought to escape the clutches of drowning, however, seven days later, he faced another precarious situation in which he was fighting to escape the clutches of the Massachusetts people. There were accusations about his behavior with Miss Kopechne that night and about alcoholism. Edward Kennedy’s chances to retain his position in office seemed to be fading. However, in his televised address to his

On May 4, 1970, Kent State Massacre occurred at the Kent State University in Ohio. Four Kent University students were shot dead, and nine other students were injured during the massacre by Ohio National Guardsmen (Cano, 2010). The massacre was the result of protest going on in the campus premises by the students who showed dissatisfaction about the then President’s decision of attacking Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

The 1960’s were a time of great turmoil and change; people had many different ways to express themselves. Some did this through drugs, others through assassination, while some chose music. While there were many American musicians who were influential during the 1960s such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and The Eagles, arguably none were as influential as The Beatles. Consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, helped change the face of popular culture of the 1960’s through their music, image, and influence on the counterculture of the time.

In a students’ perspective, the Kent State Shootings were for a horrible reason and the protest was not wild at all. The students believed that their protest was for a good cause and that they should not have to break it up. An article says, "They were informed that a ban on student gatherings had been called. They were then ordered to disperse by the National Guard and police. When they failed to do so, tear gas was launched, and the guardsmen moved in. Several students were beaten and even bayoneted as the guardsmen dispersed the crowd"(“The Kent State Shootings: May 4, 1970"). They believed the protest was under control, so they continued. However, this resulted in the National Guard taking matters to the extreme by beating and using weapons on the students. When the National Guard was called in to calm the protest, they were very aggressive and angry. They also came in looking for violence and one article says, "Sunday, May 3rd was a day filled with contrasts. Nearly 1000 Ohio National Guardsmen occupied the campus, making it appear like a military war zone"(“The May 4 Shootings at Kent State University: The search”). The National Guard came into the protest looking to break it up using violence. Their violence resulted in the deaths of four students and the injuring of many. The students view the Kent State Shootings as

The student body at Kent State numbered about 20,000 and had been considered conservative, but not overly political. In fact they were thought of as rather passive politically. The shootings were a culmination of four days of demonstrations by members of the student body. The students were protesting the invasion of Cambodia by American forces.

One point in history that this is especially evident is the Vietnam War era. A well-known protest during this era in which the police became involved was the Kent State Massacre. In May 1970, students from Kent State University in Ohio began protesting the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces. Many incidents occurred during this protest, such as bottles and rocks being thrown at police officers, bonfires, the breaking of windows and the looting of stores. These actions led to the Mayor of Kent, Leroy Satrom, to declare a state of emergency on May 2. He requested help from the Ohio National Guard, and members began to arrive that evening. The Reserve Officer Training Corps building at Kent State University was set on fire, and when the firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames many protesters sliced the hoses. National Guard members aimed to reestablish order and resorted to tear gas to scatter the

Furthermore, Dickerson focuses on displaying Kennedy’s strengths by comparing him to other candidates. For example, he says, “Dwight Eisenhower had run television ads in 1952, but Kennedy’s ads in West Virginia in 1960 were arguably the first pivotal TV spots in American electoral history (24).” This shows how even though Eisenhower was the first candidate to run television ads, Kennedy receives all the credit due to him being more successful. Dickerson also states how there was “almost no democrat who had done more” than Kennedy in preparing for the presidential race (15). This proves Dickerson’s point in showing how Kennedy was a candidate like no other. Kennedy had an ability to surpass every other candidate, which is why readers get the

Due to economic security, the baby boom, and the "American Dream" suburbs grew in the 1950's. Our economy was the largest in the world at the time and we were becoming a largely consumerism based country. We even had enough money that the government helped pay half the loans of American Veterans through the GI Bill of Rights. That security was sure, the government would not offer to pay back so much money if they thought it would be necessary for every person (Doc 1). Home ownership rates went up by over 10% the first 10 years after WW2 (Doc 4). This was caused by a great rush of babies being born also known as the baby boom. These many children needed space to live, and suddenly, suburbs are born! With the money needed families could take

The 1960’s was a very influential time in the United States of America. The United States began to explore a new culture of people known as hippies. The USA endured a great scare of nuclear war from the Cuban Missile Crisis. This country lost two famous leaders from that era; John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., who were assassinated. The United States also began the move towards equality by passing the Civil Rights Act. The final major accomplishment from 1960’s was when Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to land on the moon.