How To Write An Essay On Woodstock In 1969

Hippies represent the ideological, naive nature that children possess. They feel that with a little love and conectedness, peace and equality will abound. It is with this assumption that so many activists and reformers, inspired by the transformation that hippies cultivated, have found the will to persist in revolutionizing social and political policy. Their alternative lifestyles and radical beleifs were the shocking blow that American culture-- segregation, McCarthyism, unjust wars, censorship--needed to prove that some Americans still had the common sense to care for one another. The young people of the sixties counterculture movement were successful at awakening awareness on many causes that are being fought in modern

To some people the Hippie Movements’ regime was one that was a negative for the country and

The whole hippie culture all together was totally against social norms, what society wanted to see, how everyone else lived, and what they believed in. The hippie culture’s main moto was “make love, not war”. They were strongly against war and the Vietnam War, which was going on during the same time the hippie culture was popular. They thought that everyone should have acceptance of the universe. They wanted to see change in the world, global

In the summer of 1969, a music festival known as “Woodstock” took place for three straight days in Upstate, New York with thirty-two musical acts playing, and over 400,000 people from around the world coming to join this musical and peaceful movement. Woodstock started out being a small concert, created to promote peace in the world. Now, Woodstock is still being celebrated over 40 years later. This three day music festival represented the perfect concert for the “baby boomers” during a messy political time. Woodstock significantly impacted the counterculture era of the 1960’s in a number of ways; how it began, the ideas of the concert, the sense of union and love it represented and it

At the time, teens and young adults were looking for ways to rebel against their religious and strict parents, but in a way that would affect the world in a positive way. “Woodstock was, in many ways, a symbolic high point for the 1960s generation, proving that peace and love were possible in the world, if only for a moment” (Berg 863). The war in Vietnam was a huge event that was taking place at the time of Woodstock. Many of the fans that were present, were

As a reflection of the sixties and seventies, Dazed and Confused itself is a representation of the experience that many teenagers had during this time period. In the specific scene that this artifact covers, is the carefree spirit that is so commonly associated with the people of this time when looking back today. This mentality can be attributed to a couple of crucial factors. Incidents such as the anti-war protests led to the start of the Hippie Movement, introducing one of the major icons of the decade, the hippie that revolted against events such as the Vietnam War. During this period, the hippie countered what they felt were deceitful actions in the United States government, forcing those of their own population into

Psychedelics, and drugs in general became such an important part of life during the 60’s that it’s influence was inescapable. Nowhere can this fact be seen more clearly than in the music of the time. The most obvious influence drugs had on music can bee seen in the lyrics. Drug references abound, be it Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” of marijuana smoke, or the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, obviously referring to LSD. Even the names of the bands were drug inspired, as Garofalo points out in reference to the Doors: “The group took it’s name from Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception, a book about the liberating aspects of drug use.” Even the music itself was influenced by drugs. Take for example much of the music by the Doors. Their song “the End” is a psychedelic journey in to the world of LSD. The slow beat and “trippy” music in the song was probably created with the use of drugs and hence is better appreciated when heard while on drugs. This is also true of the music of the Grateful Dead, although this can be much more clearly seen in their live performances as opposed to their studio work. Much of their music is geared specifically toward those in the audience who are on drugs. Hearing one of their 30 minute jams is a much different experience on drugs, and that is the experience that they intended the audience to have. While drugs were very much connected to the music of the sixties,

The Woodstock Music Festival is the most famous 1960s rock concerts, made by four promoters who did not know what exactly they were doing. Even with no experience they still managed to create an impressive masterpiece of a concert that truly captured the feel of the 1960s, with acts by Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix.

On August 15-18 the organizers predicted 100,000 people to show up to the Woodstock Festival, but when thousands more arrived, the concert became free. Performers at the festival included Joan Baez, Grateful Dead, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and many more. The over-abundance of attendees finished the food and water supply quickly, caused there not to be enough bathrooms, and with a crowd this size the medical care was insufficient. The Woodstock Festival, which is “easily the most famous concert event in the 1960s” (Cusic 137) that was filled with hippies who were supporters of the counterculture. After the United States won World War II the country became more industrialized so, “younger people wanted no part of the affluence and materialism of the 1950s, so they created a lifestyle that was separate and distinct" (Brownell 8-9).

Let It Be, Strawberry Fields Forever, Revolution, and many other songs by the British rock band, The Beatles, helped shape the counterculture movement. Many songs by The Beatles supported the ideas of rebellion, freedom and drug use. The Beatles were the most popular musical group in the 1960s, and they were loved and idolized by many. They are still considered to be one of the greatest, if not the, greatest musical group ever. Although the Beatles were the most popular and influential rock group of the time, eclectic groups and singers of all different genres helped shape the music scene in the 1960s, such as: Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Who. Music by all of these artists “reflected the new sexual permissiveness and drug trends” (The American Experience 2). In 1969, a music festival called “Woodstock” was put together. It lasted for over three days and around 500,000 people came to listen to the music. Artists like the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. The majority of the people that attended the festival were hippies. Hippies wore loose clothing, for the most part advocated drug use, and promoted peace and love. Woodstock showcased a moment in time where an entire generation became empowered and realized that they needed to break away from the status quo. Music had a huge influence on the baby-boomer generation and the counterculture of the 1960s as a whole.

The Nineteen Sixties were a time of grand turmoil in the United States. The nation almost came apart at the seams many times throughout the decade. The government was involved in a plethora of things at the time that the general population did not agree with. The most important was the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was the most publicly protested war in the history of the country. There were many new forms of protesting used at this time. The most mainstream and effective way of protest was through song. The lyrics of the songs of the sixties were laced with anti-government and anti-war messages that were sometimes hidden and sometimes direct. The generation responsible for the new music was the Baby Boomers. These were the

They knew that they were all on our way to the same place to enjoy "three days of peace and music." Had the festival lasted much longer, as many as one million youths might have made the trip to Bethel. What started off as a promotion for a music studio, ended up as one of the most significant political and sociological events of the age. The main attraction of the festival was an all-star cast of top rock artists. Some of the greatest musicians of the 1960s performed, including singers Janis Joplin, Ravi Shankar, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez as well as the bands The Stone; and Creedence Clearwater Revival (Sandow, 1). Singer Joe Cocker and guitar player Carlos Santana, up to then unknown, became overnight stars. Some performers who were scheduled to appear could not due to traffic problems. Jimi Hendrix ended the event with a freeform solo guitar performance of "The Star Spangled Banner." The dictionary defines a hippie as one who doesn't conform to society's standards and advocates a liberal attitude and lifestyle. Most of the people at Woodstock were not hippies in the commonly accepted sense: a good half of them, at least, were high school or college students from middle class homes ("The Big Woodstock, 33"). But at Woodstock they exhibited to the world many of the hippie values and life styles, from psychedelic clothing to spontaneous, unashamed nudity to open and casual sex, and also illicit drugs. Youthful imaginations were

John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld, and Mike Lang were the minds behind the creation of these “Three Days of Peace and Music”, the oldest of which was only 27. This festival, and all the music played during this time, was extremely influential. Americans at this time needed a weekend of peace, for tension was high. At this time Nixon was threatening to bomb North Vietnam, over 35,000 U.S. military personnel have died in the line of duty, and communism was terrifyingly close to America. Friends and family were overseas, and this music festival was a way to spread the idea of peace and love through a medium that was understood by all: music. This festival would not have occurred if it was not for the high tensions and influence of countureculture through popular music at the time.

The second reason why the film captured the characteristics of America in the 1960s was because there was a seek for freedom. The goal of Wyatt and Billy was to get away and retire in Florida with the money that they made from the drug deal. They wanted to live freely and live the life they wanted to live. This was a direct portrayal of the 1960s in which there were the hippies and Civil Rights movements. The hippie movement was to get out of the “establishment” called by younger people, in which it was a system of older institutions and values (Pendergast, 2005). The fact that it was the privileged young people that went against the “establishment” for a freer lifestyle filled with peace and love. This was the focus on the discovery of oneself serves a strong example for freedom. The hippies’ wanted to seek for freedom was similar to the blacks seeking for their freedom. An example of that was when the nonviolent Southern Christian Leadership Conference organized a peaceful school walkout in 1963 to protest for freedom and equality (Turner). In addition, no violent was shown in the film from Wyatt and Billy because they do not want to be involved in any kind of violent that will hinder their way of free life.

The sixties were a time of embracing individualism and change. People were exploring their evolving culture and living life to the fullest. The Baby Boomers were part of this time period, fully showcasing their personal values and cultural rebellion for the world to see. A song that coincides with this time period is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." This song was written by John Lennon, a prominent member of the Beatles, in 1967. This song has a lot of contradictory accusations towards it. On one hand, the acronym LSD is in the title of the song. LSD, otherwise known as acid, was a frequently used drug at the time. When taken, the drug brings you on a psychedelic journey, enhancing your senses and opening your mind. This is what the people